Wildlife

Migratory Raptor Conservation Welfare

Migratory raptors face mortality and welfare threats throughout their migration routes from trapping, power lines and wind turbines.

Key Facts

Raptors migrate along predictable flyways that historically intersected human hunting areas
Illegal trapping of raptors for falconry continues in parts of the Middle East and Mediterranean
Power line electrocution kills thousands of raptors annually especially large species
Wind turbine collision risk can be substantially reduced by siting and operational modifications

Welfare Considerations

Migratory raptors face a gauntlet of human-created threats during migration. Trapped raptors suffer confinement, injury and often death in snares and nets. Electrocuted birds die quickly but power line collisions cause trauma and slow deaths. The cumulative impact of these threats across migration routes threatens some raptor populations while causing significant individual welfare harm.

What You Can Do

Support raptor conservation organizations working on migration route protection
Advocate for power line retrofitting to prevent raptor electrocution
Support evidence-based wind turbine siting guidelines that protect raptor migration routes
Report illegal raptor trapping to wildlife law enforcement