Birds of prey face threats from poisoning, electrocution, collision, and persecution — rehabilitation programs play a critical welfare and conservation role.
Raptors present unique rehabilitation challenges due to their high metabolic needs, stress response to captivity, and requirement for flight capability before release. An eagle or hawk that cannot hunt cannot survive in the wild regardless of apparent health. Welfare during rehabilitation requires minimizing human contact to prevent imprinting, providing species-appropriate housing and diet, and making honest assessments about release prospects. Population-level welfare is better served by addressing threats like rodenticides and lead ammunition at source.