Wild Red Kite Lead Poisoning: Ongoing Welfare Crisis

Red kites remain at serious risk from lead poisoning through ingestion of lead ammunition fragments in gamebird carcasses and offal left in the field.

Key Facts

Red kites were successfully reintroduced to England, Scotland and Wales from 1989 onwards
Lead poisoning is the single largest identifiable cause of red kite mortality in the UK
Lead shot and rifle bullet fragments remain in gut piles and carcasses left after shooting
Red kites are obligate scavengers - they feed heavily on carrion and are highly exposed to lead
Blood lead levels above 20 micrograms per decilitre indicate significant exposure
Lead poisoning causes ataxia, weakness, crop impaction, paralysis and death over days to weeks
Non-toxic copper ammunition is widely available and effective for deer and gamebird shooting
The UK government's Lead Ammunition Group recommended a transition to non-toxic shot in 2015

Welfare Considerations

Lead poisoning in red kites causes prolonged suffering. Neurological effects including ataxia and muscle weakness leave birds unable to fly, feed or evade predators. Death from lead poisoning takes days to weeks and involves significant suffering. The welfare harm is preventable - switching to non-lead ammunition eliminates the primary exposure route. Voluntary transition has been slow despite years of evidence. The scale of ongoing suffering in a species whose conservation success story is highly valued makes continued exposure to lead ammunition a clear welfare and ethical priority for action.

What You Can Do

If you shoot deer or gamebirds, switch to non-toxic copper ammunition immediately
Never leave gut piles or carcasses in areas where red kites or other raptors are known to feed
Support RSPB campaigns for mandatory non-toxic ammunition legislation
Report red kites found sick or dead to your local wildlife hospital for forensic testing
Advocate for mandatory lead ammunition phase-out in parliamentary submissions and consultations