Ospreys nesting in Scotland face welfare challenges during their extraordinary migration to West Africa and back, with welfare implications from fishing line entanglement, poisoning, and habitat loss.
Osprey welfare challenges span their entire annual cycle. In Scotland, nest disturbance during the breeding season causes acute stress and potential failure. Fishing line entanglement causes foot and wing injuries that impair flight and diving ability for hunting. On migration, ospreys must locate fish-rich water bodies at staging sites — depletion of fish stocks and pollution at traditional staging sites causes nutritional stress. In West African wintering areas, persecution and habitat change threaten individual welfare. Each stage connects — birds arriving from Africa in poor condition have lower breeding success, linking welfare across continents.