The red kite's reintroduction to England, Scotland and Ireland from Wales and continental Europe is one of conservation's great success stories, though ongoing persecution remains a welfare concern.
Red kite recovery is a welfare and conservation triumph, but the ongoing persecution by poisoning remains a significant welfare concern. Birds killed by illegal poison suffer agonising deaths - organophosphate and rodenticide poisoning causes convulsions, internal bleeding and prolonged dying. Secondary poisoning of kites that scavenge poisoned carcasses kills birds that were themselves doing nothing illegal. The persistence of illegal persecution despite legal protections reflects deep-seated attitudes that conservation and law enforcement must continue to address. Kites that survive the first year of hazards typically live long, relatively comfortable lives as highly adapted scavengers.