Red Kite
Encyclopedia
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey
in the family Accipitridae
, which also includes many other diurnal raptor
s such as eagle
s, buzzard
s, and harrier
s. The species is currently endemic
to the Western Palearctic region in Europe
and northwest Africa
, though formerly also occurred just outside in northern Iran
. It is a rare species
which is resident in the milder parts of its range in western Europe
and northwest Africa
, but birds from northeastern and central Europe
winter further south and west, reaching south to Turkey
. Vagrants have reached north to Finland
and south to Israel
and Libya
.
in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Falco milvus.
The Red Kite has been known to successfully hybridize with the Black Kite
in captivity where both species were kept together, and in the wild on the Cape Verde Islands.
The Red Kites on the Cape Verde Islands are (or rather were) quite distinct in morphology
, being somewhat intermediate with Black Kites. The question whether the Cape Verde Kite should be considered a distinct species
(Milvus fasciicauda) or a Red Kite subspecies
has not been settled. A recent mtDNA study on museum specimens suggests that Cape Verde birds did not form a monophyletic lineage among or next to Red Kites.
However, this interpretation is problematic: mtDNA analysis is very susceptible to hybridization events, the evolutionary history of the Cape Verde population is not known, and the genetic
relationship of Red Kites in general is very confusing, with geographical proximity being no indicator of genetic relatedness and the overall genetic similarity high, perhaps indicating a relict
species.
Given the morphological distinctness of the Cape Verde birds and the fact that the Cape Verde population was isolated from other populations of Red Kites, it cannot be conclusively resolved at this time whether the Cape Verde population was not a distinct subspecies (as M. migrans fasciicauda) or even species that frequently absorbed stragglers from the migrating European populations into its gene pool. More research seems warranted, but at any rate the Cape Verde population is effectively extinct since 2000, all surviving birds being hybrids with Black Kite
s (which merely raises further questions about their taxonomic status).
. The white primary flight feathers contrast with the black wing tips and dark secondaries. Apart from the weight difference, the sexes are similar, but juveniles have a buff breast and belly. The call is a thin piping, similar to but less mewling than the Common Buzzard
. There is also a rare white leucistic form which accounts for approximately 1% of hatchlings in the Welsh population but is at a disadvantage in the survival stakes.
These differences hold throughout most of the first year of a bird's life.
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The Red Kite's diet consists mainly of small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, young hares and rabbits. It also feeds on a wide variety of carrion including sheep carcasses and dead game birds. Live birds are also taken and occasionally reptiles and amphibians. Earthworms also form an important part of the diet, especially in the spring.
As scavengers, red kites are particularly sensitive to poisoning. Illegal poison baits set for foxes or crows are indiscriminate and kill protected birds and other animals.
At signs of danger a mother will signal the young who will "play dead" to the extent that a fox
will believe them to be dead and leave them, thinking it can return to eat them later.
The Red Kite inhabits broadleaf woodlands, valleys and wetland edges, to 800 m. It is endemic to the western Palearctic
, with the European population of 19,000-25,000 pairs encompassing 95% of its global breeding range. It breeds from Spain and Portugal east through central Europe to Ukraine
, north to southern Sweden, Latvia
and the UK, and south to southern Italy. There is also a population in northern Morocco
. Northern birds move south in winter, mostly staying in the west of the breeding range, but also to eastern Turkey
, northern Tunisia
and Algeria
. The three largest populations (in Germany, France and Spain, which together hold more than 75% of the global population) all declined during 1990-2000, and overall the species declined by almost 20% over the ten years. The main threats to this species are poisoning, through illegal direct poisoning and indirect poisoning due to pesticides, particularly in the wintering ranges in France and Spain, and changes in agricultural practices causing a reduction in food resources. Other threats include electrocution, hunting and trapping, deforestation, egg-collection (on a local scale) and possibly competition with the generally more successful Black Kite M. migrans.
. However, populations elsewhere are stable or undergoing increases. In Sweden the species has increased from 30-50 pairs in the 1970s to 1,200 breeding pairs in 2003. In Switzerland, populations increased during the 1990s, and have now stabilised. However, according to a report by the Welsh Kite Trust, the UK is the only country in which the Red Kite population is increasing. Red Kites are decreasing in their three strongholds of Spain, France and Germany.
In the United Kingdom Red Kites were ubiquitous scavengers that lived on carrion and garbage. Shakespeare's King Lear
describes his daughter Goneril
as a detested kite, and he also wrote "when the kite builds, look to your lesser linen" in reference to them stealing washing that was hung out to dry during the nesting season. In the mid 15th century King James II of Scotland decreed that they should be "killed wherever possible", but they remained protected in England and Wales for the next 100 years as they kept the streets free of carrion and rotting food. Under Tudor "vermin laws" many creatures were seen as competitors for the produce of the countryside and bounties were paid by the parish for their carcasses.
By the 20th century the breeding population had become restricted to a handful of pairs in South Wales
, but recently the Welsh population has been supplemented by re-introductions in England and Scotland. In 2004, from 375 occupied territories identified at least 216 pairs were thought to have hatched eggs and 200 pairs reared at least 286 young. In 1989 six Swedish birds were released at a site in north Scotland and four Swedish and one Welsh bird in Buckinghamshire
. Altogether, 93 birds of Swedish and Spanish origin were released at each of the sites. In the second stage of reintroduction in 1995 and 1996, further birds were brought over from Germany to populate the areas of Dumfries and Galloway
, and the Derwent Valley
in North East England.In Northern Ireland four pairs were released and in 2010 the first reproduction was recorded.
The reintroductions in The Chilterns have been a particular success. Between 1989 and 1993 90 birds were released in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
and by 2002, 139 pairs were breeding in the area. Another very successful reintroduction has been in Northamptonshire
, which has become a stronghold for the Red Kite. Thirty Spanish birds were reintroduced into Rockingham Forest
near Corby
in 2000 , and by 2010, the RSPB estimated that over 200 chicks had been reared from that initial release. So successful has the reintroduction been that 30 chicks have been transported from Rockingham Forest, for release in Cumbria
.
A sighting of the first Red Kite to be seen in London for 150 years was reported in The Independent
newspaper in January 2006 and in June of that year, the UK-based Northern Kites Project reported that kites had bred in the Derwent Valley in and around Rowlands Gill
, Tyne and Wear
for the first time since the re-introduction.
In 1999 the Red Kite was named 'Bird of the Century' by the British Trust for Ornithology
.
In June 2010 the Forestry Commission
North West England announced a three-year project that will see 90 Red Kites released in Grizedale Forest
, Cumbria
under a special licence issued by Natural England
. The Grizedale programme will be the ninth reintroduction of Red Kites into different regions of the UK, and the final re-introduction phase in England.
The stated aims of the Grizedale project are:
announced an agreement to bring at least 100 birds from Wales to restock the population as part of a 5-year programme in the Wicklow Mountains
, similar to the earlier Golden Eagle
reintroduction programme. On the 19 July 2007 the first thirty red kites were released in Co. Wicklow. On 22 May 2010, 2 newly-hatched Red Kite chicks were discovered in the Wicklow mountains
, bringing the number of chicks hatched since reintroduction to 7.
in southern Sweden. It may be observed in one of its breeding locations such as the Kullaberg
Nature Preserve near Molle.
Some of the best places to see them in the UK are Gigrin Farm near Rhayader
, mid Wales
, where hundreds are fed by the local farmer as a tourist attraction. and the nearby Nant-Yr-Arian forest recreation centre in Ceredigion
where the rare leucistic variant can be seen. In the UK the Oxfordshire
part of the Chilterns has many Red Kites. They can also be seen around Harewood
near Leeds
where they were re-introduced in 1999.
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
in the family Accipitridae
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...
, which also includes many other diurnal raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
s such as eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, buzzard
Buzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
s, and harrier
Harrier (bird)
A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks forming the Circinae sub-family of the Accipitridae family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds....
s. The species is currently endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
to the Western Palearctic region in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and northwest Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, though formerly also occurred just outside in northern Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. It is a rare species
Rare species
A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
which is resident in the milder parts of its range in western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and northwest Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, but birds from northeastern and central Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
winter further south and west, reaching south to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Vagrants have reached north to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and south to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.
Taxonomy
This species was first described by LinnaeusCarolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Falco milvus.
The Red Kite has been known to successfully hybridize with the Black Kite
Black Kite
The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. Unlike others of the group, they are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their...
in captivity where both species were kept together, and in the wild on the Cape Verde Islands.
The Red Kites on the Cape Verde Islands are (or rather were) quite distinct in morphology
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
, being somewhat intermediate with Black Kites. The question whether the Cape Verde Kite should be considered a distinct species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
(Milvus fasciicauda) or a Red Kite subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
has not been settled. A recent mtDNA study on museum specimens suggests that Cape Verde birds did not form a monophyletic lineage among or next to Red Kites.
However, this interpretation is problematic: mtDNA analysis is very susceptible to hybridization events, the evolutionary history of the Cape Verde population is not known, and the genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
relationship of Red Kites in general is very confusing, with geographical proximity being no indicator of genetic relatedness and the overall genetic similarity high, perhaps indicating a relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
species.
Given the morphological distinctness of the Cape Verde birds and the fact that the Cape Verde population was isolated from other populations of Red Kites, it cannot be conclusively resolved at this time whether the Cape Verde population was not a distinct subspecies (as M. migrans fasciicauda) or even species that frequently absorbed stragglers from the migrating European populations into its gene pool. More research seems warranted, but at any rate the Cape Verde population is effectively extinct since 2000, all surviving birds being hybrids with Black Kite
Black Kite
The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. Unlike others of the group, they are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their...
s (which merely raises further questions about their taxonomic status).
Description
The Red Kite is 60–66 cm (24-27 in) long with a 175–195 cm wingspan; males have a weight of 800–1200 g, and females 1000–1300 g. It is an elegant bird, soaring with long wings held at a dihedral, and long forked tail twisting as it changes direction. The body, upper tail and wing coverts are rufousRufous
Rufous is a colour that may be described as reddish-brown or brownish-red, as of rust or oxidised iron.The first recorded use of rufous as a colour name in English was in the year 1782....
. The white primary flight feathers contrast with the black wing tips and dark secondaries. Apart from the weight difference, the sexes are similar, but juveniles have a buff breast and belly. The call is a thin piping, similar to but less mewling than the Common Buzzard
Common Buzzard
The Common Buzzard is a medium to large bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. It is usually resident all year, except in the coldest parts of its range, and in the case of one subspecies.-Description:...
. There is also a rare white leucistic form which accounts for approximately 1% of hatchlings in the Welsh population but is at a disadvantage in the survival stakes.
Differences between adults and juveniles
Adults differ from juveniles in a number of characteristics:- Adults are overall more deeply rufous, compared with the more washed out colour of juveniles;
- Adults have black breast-streaks whereas on juveniles these are pale;
- Juveniles have a less deeply-forked tail, with a dark subterminal band;
- Juveniles have pale tips to all of the greater-coverts (secondary and primary) on both the upper- and under-wings, forming a long narrow pale line; adults have pale fringes to upperwing secondary-coverts only.
These differences hold throughout most of the first year of a bird's life.
Behaviour
The Red Kite's diet consists mainly of small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, young hares and rabbits. It also feeds on a wide variety of carrion including sheep carcasses and dead game birds. Live birds are also taken and occasionally reptiles and amphibians. Earthworms also form an important part of the diet, especially in the spring.
As scavengers, red kites are particularly sensitive to poisoning. Illegal poison baits set for foxes or crows are indiscriminate and kill protected birds and other animals.
At signs of danger a mother will signal the young who will "play dead" to the extent that a fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
will believe them to be dead and leave them, thinking it can return to eat them later.
Breeding
Adult red kites are sedentary birds, and they occupy their breeding home range all year in the United Kingdom, though many of the global populations are migratory (particularly the Swedish population, which winters in Spain). Each nesting territory can contain up to five alternative nest sites. Both birds build the nest on a main fork or a limb high in a tree, 12-20m high made of dead twigs and lined with grass or other vegetation and sheep’s wool.Distribution and status
Palearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth's surface.Physically, the Palearctic is the largest ecozone...
, with the European population of 19,000-25,000 pairs encompassing 95% of its global breeding range. It breeds from Spain and Portugal east through central Europe to Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, north to southern Sweden, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and the UK, and south to southern Italy. There is also a population in northern Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. Northern birds move south in winter, mostly staying in the west of the breeding range, but also to eastern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, northern Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. The three largest populations (in Germany, France and Spain, which together hold more than 75% of the global population) all declined during 1990-2000, and overall the species declined by almost 20% over the ten years. The main threats to this species are poisoning, through illegal direct poisoning and indirect poisoning due to pesticides, particularly in the wintering ranges in France and Spain, and changes in agricultural practices causing a reduction in food resources. Other threats include electrocution, hunting and trapping, deforestation, egg-collection (on a local scale) and possibly competition with the generally more successful Black Kite M. migrans.
Continental Europe
German populations declined by 25-30% between 1991 and 1997, but have remained stable since then, with the populations of the northern foothills of the Harz Mountains (the most densely populated part of its range) suffering an estimated 50% decline from 1991-2001. In Spain the species showed an overall decline in breeding population of up to 43% for the period 1994 to 2001-02, and surveys of wintering birds in 2003-04 suggest a similarly large decline in core wintering areas. The Balearic Islands population has declined from 41-47 breeding pairs in 1993 to just 10 in 2003. In France, breeding populations have decreased in the northeast, but seem to be stable in southwest and central France and CorsicaCorsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. However, populations elsewhere are stable or undergoing increases. In Sweden the species has increased from 30-50 pairs in the 1970s to 1,200 breeding pairs in 2003. In Switzerland, populations increased during the 1990s, and have now stabilised. However, according to a report by the Welsh Kite Trust, the UK is the only country in which the Red Kite population is increasing. Red Kites are decreasing in their three strongholds of Spain, France and Germany.
United Kingdom
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
describes his daughter Goneril
Goneril
Goneril, or Gonerill, is a fictional character in William Shakespeare’s King Lear. She is the eldest of King Lear's daughters. Along with her sister Regan, Goneril is considered a wicked character. She is obsessed with power and overthrowing her elderly father as ruler of the kingdom...
as a detested kite, and he also wrote "when the kite builds, look to your lesser linen" in reference to them stealing washing that was hung out to dry during the nesting season. In the mid 15th century King James II of Scotland decreed that they should be "killed wherever possible", but they remained protected in England and Wales for the next 100 years as they kept the streets free of carrion and rotting food. Under Tudor "vermin laws" many creatures were seen as competitors for the produce of the countryside and bounties were paid by the parish for their carcasses.
By the 20th century the breeding population had become restricted to a handful of pairs in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, but recently the Welsh population has been supplemented by re-introductions in England and Scotland. In 2004, from 375 occupied territories identified at least 216 pairs were thought to have hatched eggs and 200 pairs reared at least 286 young. In 1989 six Swedish birds were released at a site in north Scotland and four Swedish and one Welsh bird in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. Altogether, 93 birds of Swedish and Spanish origin were released at each of the sites. In the second stage of reintroduction in 1995 and 1996, further birds were brought over from Germany to populate the areas of Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, and the Derwent Valley
River Derwent, North East England
The River Derwent is a river on the border between County Durham and Northumberland in the north east of England. It broadens into the Derwent Reservoir, west of Consett. The Derwent is a tributary of the River Tyne, which it joins near the MetroCentre...
in North East England.In Northern Ireland four pairs were released and in 2010 the first reproduction was recorded.
The reintroductions in The Chilterns have been a particular success. Between 1989 and 1993 90 birds were released in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
and by 2002, 139 pairs were breeding in the area. Another very successful reintroduction has been in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, which has become a stronghold for the Red Kite. Thirty Spanish birds were reintroduced into Rockingham Forest
Rockingham Forest
Rockingham Forest is a former Mediæval royal hunting forest in the East Midlands region of England; most of which was in the county of Northamptonshire but also extended slightly into the neighbouring counties of Leicestershire and Lincolnshire .The forest originally stretched from Stamford down...
near Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
in 2000 , and by 2010, the RSPB estimated that over 200 chicks had been reared from that initial release. So successful has the reintroduction been that 30 chicks have been transported from Rockingham Forest, for release in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
.
A sighting of the first Red Kite to be seen in London for 150 years was reported in The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
newspaper in January 2006 and in June of that year, the UK-based Northern Kites Project reported that kites had bred in the Derwent Valley in and around Rowlands Gill
Rowlands Gill
Rowlands Gill is a village situated along the A694, between Winlaton Mill and Blackhall Mill, on the north bank of the River Derwent, Tyne and Wear, England. With the coming of the Derwent Valley Railway in 1867, Rowlands Gill became both a coal mining village, and during the early part of the...
, Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
for the first time since the re-introduction.
In 1999 the Red Kite was named 'Bird of the Century' by the British Trust for Ornithology
British Trust for Ornithology
The British Trust for Ornithology is an organisation founded in 1932 for the study of birds in the British Isles.-Activities:The BTO carries out research into the lives of birds, chiefly by conducting population and breeding surveys and by bird ringing, largely carried out by a large number of...
.
In June 2010 the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
North West England announced a three-year project that will see 90 Red Kites released in Grizedale Forest
Grizedale Forest
Grizedale Forest is a 24.47 km² area of woodland in the Lake District of North West England, located to the east of Coniston Water and to the south of Hawkshead. It comprises a number of hills, small tarns and the settlements of Grizedale and Satterthwaite...
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
under a special licence issued by Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
. The Grizedale programme will be the ninth reintroduction of Red Kites into different regions of the UK, and the final re-introduction phase in England.
The stated aims of the Grizedale project are:
- To establish a viable population of Red Kites in Grizedale, South Cumbria by 2015.
- To increase the rate of Red Kite expansion into North West England and link up with existing populations in Wales, Yorkshire, North East England and South West Scotland and so increase the chances of a continuous geographical range.*To develop community involvement and create educational opportunities arising from the project.
Ireland
Red Kites were extinct in Ireland by the middle nineteenth century, due to persecution, poisoning and woodland clearance. In May 2007, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Dick RocheDick Roche
Dick Roche is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency, and also served in Seanad Éireann from 1992 to 1997.-Early and private life:...
announced an agreement to bring at least 100 birds from Wales to restock the population as part of a 5-year programme in the Wicklow Mountains
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into Counties Carlow, Wexford and Dublin. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains...
, similar to the earlier Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
reintroduction programme. On the 19 July 2007 the first thirty red kites were released in Co. Wicklow. On 22 May 2010, 2 newly-hatched Red Kite chicks were discovered in the Wicklow mountains
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, bringing the number of chicks hatched since reintroduction to 7.
Populations and trends by country
The following figures (mostly estimates) have been collated from various sources. They cover most of the countries in which Red Kites are believed to have bred.| Country | Year | Pairs | Trend | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Norway |
1980 | 0 | 0 | Bred occasionally in 19th century |
 Sweden |
late 2000s | c.1800 | + | Increase from 400 pairs in 1993 |
 Denmark |
2009 | 75–80 | + | Extinct c.1920, then recolonised (from Sweden) 1970s |
 Kingdom of Scotland |
2009 | 135 | + | Extinct 1886, reintroduced 1989–1992 |
 Northern Ireland |
2007 | 4 | + | First successful breeding reported in 2010 following reintroduction in 2008 |
| 2010 | 7 | + | First successful breeding reported in 2010 following reintroduction in 2007 | |
 Wales |
2009 | c.1000 | + | Declined to 2 pairs in 1930s, then recovery |
 Kingdom of England |
2011 | c.2000 | + | Extinct 1870s, reintroduced 1989–1992 |
 Early Modern France |
late 2000s | c.3000 | – | 2300–2900 pairs 1980s |
 Netherlands |
c.1998 | <5 | + | Extinct 1852, recolonised 1976 |
 Belgium |
c.1995 | 50–60 | + | Declined to 1–3 pairs early 1970s, then recovery |
 Luxembourg |
1997 | 46 | + | |
 Germany |
late 2000s | c.12000 | – | 15000–25000 pairs 1980s |
 Poland |
c.1998 | 650–700 | + | 400–450 pairs 1980s |
 Estonia |
1989 | <1 | ? | |
 Latvia |
1992 | 0–50 | + | Extinct 1964, then recolonised |
 Lithuania |
1988 | 1–2 | + | Extinct, then recolonised 1981 |
 Russia |
1992 | 0–50 | ? | |
 Belarus |
1997 | 1 | +/– | Extinct 1950s, recolonised 1985; 10 pairs 1990 |
 Ukraine |
1990 | 5–8 | – | |
 Czech Republic |
1993–94 | 30–50 | + | Extinct late 19th century, recolonised 1975 |
 Slovakia |
1992 | 10–20 | ?– | |
 Switzerland |
c.1995 | 800–1000 | + | Declined 19th century, later recovery; 235–300 pairs late 1980s |
 Austria |
2000 | 0–2 | – | Extinct 1950, recolonised 1970s; 10 pairs 1990 |
 Hungary |
c.1998 | 1+ | – | 30 pairs 1950s |
 Kingdom of Romania |
1995 | 15–20 | ?+ | |
 Moldova |
1990 | 1 | ? | |
 Kingdom of Bulgaria |
0 | ? | May breed but no proof | |
 Independent State of Croatia |
0 | ? | 2–5 pairs 1980s | |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
0 | ? | ||
 Kingdom of Yugoslavia |
0 | ? | Formerly commoner | |
 Kingdom of Montenegro |
1995 | 0 | ? | |
 Serbia |
? | |||
 Republic of Macedonia |
0 | ? | ||
 Italy |
c.2002 | 300–400 | 0/+ | 70–150 pairs late 1980s |
 Albania |
? | Bred 1906 | ||
 Greece |
0 | ? | ||
 Turkey |
0 | ? | May have bred in past but no proof | |
 Algeria |
0 | ? | Bred in 19th century, now extinct | |
 Tunisia |
0 | ? | Bred in 19th century, now extinct | |
 Spain |
late 2000s | c.2200 | – | 10000 pairs 1977 |
 Portugal |
c.1995 | 100–200 | +/0 | |
 Morocco |
c.1992 | 10–100 | – | In danger of extinction |
 Canary Islands |
0 | 0 | Extinct 1970s | |
 Cape Verde |
2000 | 1? | – | 50–75 pairs late 1980s; effectively extinct |
Observation
One of the best places to see the Red Kite in Scandinavia is ScaniaScania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
in southern Sweden. It may be observed in one of its breeding locations such as the Kullaberg
Kullaberg
Kullaberg is a nature reserve situated on a peninsula of land protruding into the Kattegat in Höganäs Municipality near the town of Mölle in southwest Sweden. The site in the province of Skåne is an area of considerable biodiversity supporting a number of rare species and has been designated as an...
Nature Preserve near Molle.
Some of the best places to see them in the UK are Gigrin Farm near Rhayader
Rhayader
Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Mid Wales. It has a population of 2,075, and is the first town on the banks of the River Wye, from its source on the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains....
, mid Wales
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
, where hundreds are fed by the local farmer as a tourist attraction. and the nearby Nant-Yr-Arian forest recreation centre in Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
where the rare leucistic variant can be seen. In the UK the Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
part of the Chilterns has many Red Kites. They can also be seen around Harewood
Harewood
Harewood is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. The A61 runs through the village, from Leeds city centre in the south to Harrogate in the north...
near Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
where they were re-introduced in 1999.
External links
- Friends of Red Kites - Details about the reintroduced kites in the Derwent Valley, Gateshead
- ARKive - images and movies of the red kite (Milvus milvus)
- BBC Wales Nature - Red Kite footage
- [BBC Report about this bird's redemtion in UK culture from a hated Shithawk to a beloved bird|http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00yz3t2/Debating_Animals_Series_2_The_Kestrel_and_Red_Kite/]
- The Welsh Kite Trust - includes UK breeding reports
- About Red Kites - includes latest figures available in UK
- Red Kites in the Chilterns - Details about the reintroduced kites in the Chilterns
- Red Kites in Berkshire (Berkshire Ornithological Club) - 2006/2007 Survey
- Adult and juvenile Red Kite wing identification images (PDF) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta - http://www.ibercajalav.net/img/105_RedKiteM.milvus.pdf