Ospreys returned to breed in Scotland in 1954 after over a century of extinction, with ongoing welfare challenges from egg thieves, nest disturbance, and illegal persecution that require active protection.
Ospreys disturbed at the nest during incubation may abandon eggs, causing reproductive failure. Nest thieves who disturb birds repeatedly cause chronic stress during the critical incubation and chick-rearing periods. Young birds that survive nest robberies are traumatised and may be unsuitable for rehabilitation. Power line electrocution is a mortality risk for dispersing juveniles in their first year. Ospreys that successfully fledge but are shot or trapped on migration through southern Europe face individual welfare harms that diminish the conservation success of Scottish breeding.