Raptors and corvids kept in captivity — for falconry, rehabilitation, or companionship — have complex welfare needs that differ significantly from domestic species.
Raptors and corvids have behavioral needs that are extraordinarily difficult to meet in typical private captivity. Raptors are wide-ranging predators requiring daily flight and hunting stimulation — traditional falconry practices that provide regular free-flying and hunting engagement represent higher welfare than static captivity. Corvids are social species with strong pair bonds requiring either conspecific companionship or intense multi-hour daily human interaction. Boredom in cognitively complex birds produces feather-destructive behavior, aggression, and stereotypic movements. Rehabilitation and falconry represent the two contexts where keeping these species has clearest welfare justification; keeping corvids as novelty pets rarely meets their needs.