Small numbers of continental migrants are regularly seen in southern and eastern Britain during spring. However, they are now so successful, we can't survey them on an annual basis.īritish kites are mainly sedentary, although juvenile birds range widely during the winter months (records have been received from as far as Spain and Portugal), returning the following spring to the area they fledged from. is more uniformly dark and with a less strongly forked-tailed than Red Kite. There are probably around 1,800 breeding pairs in Britain (about 7 per cent of the world population) - about half in Wales, with the rest in England and Scotland. home understanding-birds birdfacts Black Kite. The English and Scottish breeding populations are expanding only slowly from the population centres, resulting in high densities of birds within the core areas. Non-breeding birds are regularly seen in all parts of Britain, and have recently become regular visitors to Northern Ireland. Kites have also now been returned to Northern Ireland and the Welsh population continues to go from strength to strength. The Scottish population is centred around the release sites in Dumfries and Galloway, Stirling-shire and west Perthshire, around Black Isle in Ross-shire, and on the outskirts of Aberdeen City. In England the reintroduced birds can be found in the Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire area, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire, Gateshead and Grizedale Forest in Cumbria. The small remnant population that survived the persecution in the old oakwoods of mid-Wales has spread, but is still restricted within Wales. However, the Spanish wintering population, which includes many of the German and French birds has declined by 50 per cent in 10 years, making UK red kites increasingly important on a global scale. (On that occasion, it was the dog trying to chase the kite!).Around two thirds of the birds breed in Germany, with significant populations in France and Spain. Interestingly, I did have to visit an elderly couple, who found themselves staring at a red kite on their rug infront of the fire in their bungalow! I have a photo of the lady carrying out the kite, but for reasons of privacy I didn't post it. Even when work is taking place at the active nest (collecting chicks, for example) the adults usually just circle slowly in the immediate vicinity, keeping a close eye on what is going on. However, they are generally tolerant of other raptors away from the nest, with only the occasional 'tussle' taking place.Īdditionally, kites are not territorial, except for their immediate nesting area during the breeding season.ĭeborah, no, this 'mobbing' behaviour you suggest is not typical of kite behaviour. Deary me.įor obvious reasons Red Kites will not tolerate other raptors in their immediate nesting area. Just imagine 14 of them, all crapping to their hearts content, in a holding pen. The worse crapped-on episode to date, was when one of them hit the bulls eye. Red kites are listed under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife. It has now been successfully re-introduced to England and Scotland. It was saved from national extinction by one of the worlds longest-running protection programmes. Unfortunately, being close to kites on a daily basis, means getting crapped on regularly, sometimes at close quarters! So, if that is supposed to be lucky, I must be the luckiest person ever to walk this earth. This magnificently graceful bird of prey is unmistakable with its reddish-brown body, angled wings and deeply forked tail. I hope to learn a little more about this particular 'story'. Find out more about identifying all our birds of prey on our species explorer. Other rare species that breed in the UK include goshawk, white-tailed eagle and long-eared owl. They tend to struggle with anything heavier. Mottled yellowy-brown above and pale below, with dark circles around its yellow eyes and short ‘ear tufts’. Jack Russell dogs running around tend not to be part of their diet, however much people convice themselves they are.ĭespite their impressive size, the kite isn't a physically strong bird, their prey size is usually no larger than a small rabbit. Kites feed on primarily carrion, however they will and do take live prey, which usually consist of small mammals (mice, voles, and so on), small birds (usually the sick/injured ones). What does happen, quite often, in the Chilterns, is that people tend to think every large bird is automatically a red kite. I have even had one person telling me a red kite was 'circling' above her grandchild lay in her pram! I often receive emails and telephone calls from people asking me if kites are capable of taking dogs, cats, grandkids, etc etc. In the case I discussed, the kite was exhibiting normal behaviour (taking an item of clothing to take back to the nest, although in this particular case, it was a lady's favourite blouse!). I did a live interview a few months ago on the local BBC radio, about one of these stories doing the rounds.
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