Red Kite Welfare and Reintroduction Success

The red kite reintroduction in the UK is one of conservation's greatest successes, restoring a population once reduced to a handful of Welsh pairs.

Key Facts

Red kites were reintroduced to England and Scotland from 1989 using Swedish and Spanish birds
The UK population now exceeds 4,000 pairs, up from just 100 in Wales in 1989
Lead poisoning from shot game is still a significant cause of red kite mortality
Secondary poisoning from rodenticide-contaminated prey kills red kites annually
Supplementary feeding sites have helped establish new populations but may increase disease risk

Welfare Considerations

Red kites face ongoing welfare threats despite recovery: lead poisoning from gut piles left by game shooters causes paralysis, seizures and prolonged death in affected birds. Secondary rodenticide poisoning from eating poisoned rats and rabbits is increasingly documented. Illegal poisoning and persecution, though reduced, still occur. The population's recovery is genuine welfare progress; preventing its reversal through lead ammunition replacement and rodenticide restrictions is the current priority.

What You Can Do

Support the campaign for mandatory replacement of lead ammunition in shooting
Use non-rodenticide pest control to prevent secondary poisoning of raptors
Report red kite deaths or suspected poisoning to the Raptor Study Group or RSPCA
Donate to raptor monitoring schemes tracking red kite population health