Wildlife

Wild Red Kite Supplementary Feeding Welfare

Supplementary feeding of red kites has supported population establishment but raises welfare questions about dependency and disease risk.

Key Facts

Supplementary feeding at a small number of sites helped establish early UK populations
Red kites are now thriving without supplementary feeding across much of their range
Over-dependence on supplementary feeding can reduce foraging skill development in young birds
Disease can spread more rapidly at high-density feeding stations
Most conservationists now recommend reducing supplementary feeding as populations are established

Welfare Considerations

Supplementary feeding has welfare benefits during population establishment phases but can create welfare risks through dependency and disease concentration at feeding stations. As populations become self-sustaining, reducing supplementary feeding allows development of natural foraging behaviour more appropriate for long-term individual welfare.

What You Can Do

Support red kite monitoring that informs evidence-based decisions about supplementary feeding
Advocate for reducing supplementary feeding as populations establish naturally
Donate to raptor conservation organisations managing red kite welfare science