Scottish red kites (Milvus milvus) have recovered from deliberate reintroduction to over 200 pairs, but illegal poisoning continues to suppress population growth and cause individual suffering.
Poisoning causes intense suffering before death — carbofuran causes convulsions and respiratory failure over hours, while anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning causes slow death from internal haemorrhage. Wildlife Crime Officers investigate suspicious deaths but prosecutions remain rare due to evidential challenges. Satellite tagging programs have documented suspicious disappearances in areas where illegal persecution is suspected. The welfare cost of each illegal poisoning death extends beyond the individual bird to nest partners and dependent young.