Temporal patterns of wildlife roadkill in the UK

Wildlife-vehicle collisions are one of the main causes mortality for wild mammals and birds in UK. Here, using a dataset 54,000+ records collated by citizen science roadkill recording scheme between 2014–2019, we analyse present temporal patterns wildlife 19 most commonly reported taxa UK (84% all roadkill). Most (13 out 19) showed significant consistent seasonal variations road fitted two patterns; bimodal or unimodal: only three species (red fox Vulpes vulpes , European polecat Mustela putorius Reeves’ muntjac deer Muntiacus reevesi ) no seasonality. Species that increase movement spring autumn potentially have due to mate-searching juvenile dispersal during these respective time periods (e.g. badger Meles meles ). Unimodal likely represent increased single short pulse activity associated with breeding birds) foraging grey squirrels Sciurus carolinensis autumn). Importantly, also indicate risk drivers, posing greater threat human welfare. In addition behaviour-driven annual patterns, abiotic factors (temperature rainfall) explained some variance roadkill. Notably, high rainfall was decreased observations bird (gulls Eurasian magpies Pica pica rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus . By quantifying roadkill, highlight anthropogenic impact on species, which is important relation conservation, animal welfare, safety.