Falconry is one of the oldest forms of human-animal partnership, but the welfare needs of captive raptors are complex and frequently unmet by inexperienced keepers. Understanding raptor welfare helps distinguish good practice from harmful keeping.
Raptor welfare in falconry ranges from excellent to severely compromised depending on keeper knowledge and commitment. Well-managed falconry birds with daily free flight, appropriate weight management, and skilled social contact can have welfare comparable to semi-wild conditions. Poorly managed birds kept tethered without adequate flight suffer from muscle wastage, boredom, frustration, and stress-induced immune suppression leading to disease. Weight management for hunting motivation creates a narrow welfare balance: birds that are too light suffer from hypoglycaemia and immune dysfunction while birds maintained at hunting weight may not be motivated to return. The highly specialised nature of raptor welfare means that inadequate keeper education is a primary risk factor for welfare harm.