UK kestrel populations have declined by 35% since 1970, with habitat loss, prey scarcity, and secondary poisoning from rodenticides being key welfare and conservation concerns.
Kestrels affected by second-generation rodenticide exposure suffer sub-lethal effects including impaired hunting ability and reproductive failure before succumbing to anti-coagulant haemorrhage. Individual birds poisoned by rodenticide accumulation die slowly from internal bleeding. Habitat loss causes chronic nutritional stress as birds must hunt for longer periods to find adequate prey, depleting energy reserves needed for breeding.