Wild Animal Welfare

Wild Buzzard Rodenticide Welfare

Common buzzards are increasingly vulnerable to secondary rodenticide poisoning as their populations have expanded into areas where rodent control is common.

Key Facts

Common buzzard populations have recovered dramatically in the UK since the 1970s
Secondary poisoning from brodifacoum and difenacoum in rabbit and rat prey is well-documented
Post-mortem surveys find rodenticide residues in 60%+ of buzzards examined
Rodenticide poisoning causes internal bleeding, weakness, and slow death
Switching to first-generation rodenticides or non-anticoagulant approaches reduces risk

Welfare Considerations

Individual buzzards poisoned through secondary rodenticide exposure suffer painful, slow deaths from internal haemorrhage. The scale of residue contamination documented in post-mortem studies suggests this is a population-level welfare and conservation concern.

What You Can Do

Advocate for second-generation rodenticide restrictions in rural and agricultural settings
Support Barn Owl Trust and other organisations monitoring rodenticide impacts on raptors
Use non-anticoagulant or first-generation rodenticides where rodent control is necessary