The red kite recovery in the UK is one of conservation's great success stories, but recovered populations face ongoing welfare threats from lead poisoning, persecution, and rodenticide secondary poisoning.
Red kite welfare post-recovery illustrates that conservation success does not eliminate welfare threats — it creates larger populations exposed to ongoing mortality sources. Lead poisoning causes neurological deterioration and a slow death in birds that scavenge gut piles from shooting. Secondary rodenticide poisoning occurs when kites eat poisoned rats and mice, causing internal bleeding. Both mortality causes involve significant suffering. Mandatory non-lead ammunition and rodenticide restrictions in raptor habitat areas would dramatically reduce these welfare impacts in a fully recovered population.