Birds of prey including hen harriers, red kites, and golden eagles are illegally killed on driven grouse moors and farmland, causing welfare suffering and threatening population recovery.
Raptors poisoned or trapped suffer greatly before death. Carbofuran poisoning causes convulsions, paralysis, and prolonged death. Pole traps cause severe leg injuries and can hold birds for hours or days. Shooting victims may not die immediately. Beyond individual welfare, persecution suppresses population recovery of species that were once legally persecuted to extinction and are protected by law. The welfare and conservation harm of raptor persecution is significant and entirely preventable.