In August 2025, Rainer Raab represented TB Raab GmbH at the European Ornithologists’ Union (EOU) Congress in Bangor, Wales.

He contributed both an oral presentation and a poster presentation on the results of the LIFE EUROKITE project, titled “Illegal persecution of tagged red kites and other raptor species in Europe based on high-resolution GPS telemetry tracking.”

The research highlighted that illegal persecution—such as shooting, poisoning, and trapping—remained one of the major threats to raptors in Europe. Using GPS telemetry, the project tracked over 3,500 individuals of seven species, with at least 296 birds confirmed to have died due to illegal activities.

Through the introduction of the LIFE EUROKITE Assessment Protocol (LEAP), the team presented a standardized approach for identifying timing, locations, and causes of mortality, providing valuable insights for raptor conservation across Europe.