Illegal killing and persecution of birds of prey causes significant welfare harm to individual birds and suppresses population recovery of nationally rare species.
Raptor persecution welfare involves deliberate, illegal infliction of suffering on protected species. Carbofuran poisoning causes violent muscle cramps and seizures before death - a prolonged, painful end for birds that may take hours to die. Pole traps cause foot and leg injuries as well as acute stress. The individual welfare harm is severe and deliberate. The population-level consequences for rare species including hen harriers and golden eagles compound this by suppressing recovery of populations already at fragile levels. Strong enforcement, public reporting, and criminal penalties are the welfare tools available to address this ongoing wildlife crime.