Red kites were successfully reintroduced to England and Scotland after surviving only in Wales - their welfare recovery is one of the UK's greatest conservation success stories.
Red kite welfare success reflects what coordinated reintroduction and legal protection can achieve when persecution is reduced. Population growth from near-extinction demonstrates that the primary welfare threats - persecution and habitat loss - have been substantially addressed through legal protection and attitude change. Illegal poisoning remains a welfare concern, causing prolonged deaths from anticoagulant rodenticides that kites ingest through poisoned prey. The welfare of this recovered population requires sustained vigilance against illegal persecution and poisoning. Red kite success provides a powerful example for advocating similar protection for other persecuted raptors.