Red kite

The red kite (Milvus milvus) is a spectacular bird of prey that has been the subject of a long, complex, and ultimately successful story in terms of UK conservation.

Appearance

The red kite is about 60 centimetres (24 inches) in length, which makes it slightly larger than the buzzard. Its wing span is around 150 centimetres (59 inches. It has a noticeably forked tail and broad wings that are set forward in flight.

The plumage, which is similar as between males and females, is conspicuously reddish-brown, except for the pale head. When in flight, the red kite is easily spotted from the white patches on the undersides of the wings towards the ends. The wings are reddish-brown on the leading edge and darker on the trailing edge.

Behaviour

The call is high and shrill, almost like that of a seabird. There is a recording of the call on this page of the RSPB website, which also contains an excellent video of a red kite in flight, plus other information.

The flight is graceful, with long, deep flaps of the wings. Red kites will glide and soar with the wings held forward and the tail twisting and flexing. They have an elaborate courtship flight with the pair crossing each other’s paths. However, they take prey on the ground, often swooping from a perch on a tree branch.

Breeding and feeding

The nest is built in April or May, usually in a high tree close to a woodland edge. The nest is typical for a large raptor, being up to a metre across and composed of sticks and twigs lined with whatever softer material can be found. All sorts of strange items have been found in red kite nests, including man-made things such as small toys. Red kites sometimes use the old nests of other large birds.

The clutch consists of two to four eggs which the female incubates alone for up to 30 days. The young stay in the nest for up to 50 days, being fed constantly by both parents. Only one brood is raised per season.

The food is varied, including small mammals and birds, frogs, lizards, invertebrates and carrion.

Preservation of red kites

The red kite was once a common British bird, and was indeed under royal protection in the Middle Ages, but over the centuries it was driven to extinction in most of the country, with the population limited to a small area in mid Wales. Red kites suffered a great deal from deliberate and accidental poisoning, loss of habitat, and the activities of egg collectors. The species has been blamed for threatening game birds, and persecuted for this reason, but the charge is a false one.

Efforts to preserve the red kite and extend its range date back to 1903, which makes this the world’s longest continuous conservation project.

The efforts have been directed towards introducing breeding pairs from abroad to new habitats and carefully monitoring their progress. The need for foreign introductions was made clear when it was discovered from DNA analysis that all the surviving red kites in Wales could be traced back to a single female bird.

The success of early reintroductions in northern Scotland and Buckinghamshire have encouraged several new endeavours in other areas more recently, including the East Midlands in 1995, Dumfries and Galloway in 2001 and the Derwent Valley (north east England) in 2004. An excellent place to see red kites is the “Galloway Kite Trail” around Loch Ken. They may also be seen in Shropshire, close to the Welsh border.

  

The red kite continues to be on “amber status” as a threatened species, but its continued success now seems to be assured. Needless to say, it has protected status with the UK. All red kites that have been introduced from other countries and released in the UK have been ringed, as have many birds that have been reared as a result of this programme. It should therefore be possible to monitor the natural spread of the species and address any particular problems that might arise.

© John Welford