Red Kite

This magnificent bird of prey is unmistakable with its reddish-brown body, angled wings and deeply forked tail.

Red Kites were persecuted to the brink of extinction as a UK bird during the 19th century. With the exception of a carefully protected small population surviving in mid Wales, the Red Kite was an exceptionally rare species for most of the 20th century.

Despite the slight increase in the Welsh population, there were concerns over the slow rate of expansion so in 1989 a re-introduction program was set up by the RSPB and the Nature Conservancy Council. As a result Red Kites have been reintroduced to 4 areas of England since 1989: the Chilterns, East Midlands, Yorkshire and north-east England.

The first birds for the re-introduction program came from Spain but as the Chilterns population grew quickly it produced enough young birds to establish populations in other areas. The final project near Gateshead in north-east England began in 2004. Re-introductions also took place in Scotland, with birds brought from Sweden and Germany, and 100 Red Kites were brought from the Chilterns to northern Scotland.

The future for the Red Kite looks extremely good and most release locations now have self-sustaining populations which are continuing to increase. In addition, the population in Wales has increased to over 500 pairs.

Red Kites are resident in the UK and breed in deciduous woodland with farmland and grassland nearby and in winter communal roosts are often established in woods. Large numbers can also be found at well established “feeding stations” such as Gigrin Farm near Rhayder in Powys.

Date: 08/04/06

Location: Stonor, Oxfordshire