Birds of prey face persecution, habitat loss, and secondary poisoning threats that cause individual suffering and population decline. Understanding these threats supports targeted advocacy.
Raptor welfare is threatened by direct persecution through illegal poisoning using banned substances including carbofuran and alpha-chloralose, trapping in pole traps and spring traps, and shooting. These enforcement-resistant crimes cause painful deaths for individual birds. Secondary rodenticide poisoning affects a wider range of species including barn owls, red kites, and buzzards as they consume poisoned prey. The resulting anticoagulant poisoning causes internal hemorrhage and a prolonged painful death. Habitat loss through upland management practices that reduce prey availability creates starvation pressure particularly during breeding seasons.