NatureScot Commissioned Report 904: Population modelling of North Scotland red kites in relation to the cumulative impacts of wildlife crime and wind farm mortality

SNH Commissioned Report 904 front cover

This report predicts the potential future population size of the North Scotland red kite population up to the year 2044. Population modelling was used to estimate its future size. Revised survival and productivity rates informed this 2016 study, an update of an earlier study.

Three sources of additional mortality were explored:

  • whether illegal killing has declined since a previous study that included data up to 2006
  • the effects of the 2014 Ross-shire mass poisoning incident on the population
  • the impact of predicted wind turbine collisions on the population

The report considers the impacts of the three sources individually and cumulatively.

It concludes that:

  • illegal killing has not declined
  • the Ross-shire incident, as a one-off event, did not critically affect the population
  • potential wind farm impacts must be carefully evaluated due to the constraints on the population

The report’s findings will inform future conservation actions for the reintroduced population.

Published: 2016
Pages: 44

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Publication 2016 - NatureScot Commissioned Report 904 - Population modelling of North Scotland red kites in relation to the cumulative impacts of wildlife crime and wind farm mortality

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