White-tailed eagles have been successfully reintroduced to Scotland but face ongoing conflict with livestock farmers. Managing this conflict humanely is essential for both eagle welfare and conservation.
White-tailed eagle welfare is threatened primarily by illegal persecution including poisoning with banned pesticides and deliberate shooting. Individual birds suffer terribly from deliberate poisoning, and population recovery is slowed by continued illegal killing. Non-lethal conflict management through livestock protection measures and fair compensation schemes for genuine livestock losses represent the welfare-compatible approach to managing eagle-farming conflict.