Bird red kite11/3/2022 ![]() ![]() It is unusual to see a Red Kite sat on the ground feeding. As mentioned above, only very small mammals need to be protected from aerial attack. It should be noted that most family pets are not at risk from the Red Kites circling over their properties. However, many youngsters will also see the Red Kites clearing up the discarded snacks and trash in a school playground, after the children have returned to class. The other favourite foods include carrion, mice, voles, shrews, small birds and small reptiles. Earth worms are the favourite food source of the Red Kites, which can often be seen following many a Farmer’s tractor around the British countryside. For a large raptor it has small, weak talons and cannot attack larger mammals that a Common Buzzard might prefer. The Red Kite is a scavenger and will eat almost anything. Some of the images above show the wonderful chest and neck feathers and of course that distinctive tail, unique to the Kite family and so powerful in the aerial acrobatics that can be seen in the skies above. It 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. The species currently breeds in the Western Palearctic region of Europe and northwest Africa, though it formerly also occurred in northern Iran. The beautiful plumage of the Red Kite has to be seen to be appreciated. The red kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The latest estimate is that England has more than 2000 pairs of Red Kites.Ī medium-large bird of prey, the Red Kite has a wing span of up to 180cm and with its long-forked tail can measure up to 70cm in length. See also: our map of parakeet sightings in the London and south east.The Red Kite is a magnificent raptor that has made an amazing come-back since it nearly became extinct through human predation and the extensive use of dangerous agricultural pesticides.Ī reintroduction program in England and Scotland in the late 1990s and again in 2004, saw over 200 pairs produce eggs with almost 300 successful juveniles taking flight. Image: Tony Hisgett under creative commons licence They often hang out in pairs and occasionally larger groups. As large-bodied birds that glide while scouring the ground. Their feather patterns are also easy to distinguish, with ruddy, white and black feathers. Like other birds of prey, red kites have been known to fatally collide with wind turbines, which may affect populations on a local level. They have distinctive fan-shaped tails that, in adults, end in two points. They're pretty much the largest bird in the London sky, and glide around without much flapping, as birds of prey generally do. #BIRD RED KITE HOW TO#How to spot a red kite Image: Synaptic Refuge under creative commons licence Now, their numbers are so great that they're a daily sight for many Londoners. Breeding pairs were reintroduced to the Chilterns in 1990s, and they've made a steady recovery ever since. The distinctive birds all-but-died-out in the UK in Victorian times, thanks to habitat loss, hunting and improvements in waste disposal (they are scavengers), though a few pairs clung on in Wales. If you'd like to add to the map, please leave a comment below or respond on our Facebook or Twitter threads. ![]() We asked readers only for sightings in the south east, and that's what we've mapped. Red kites can be found further afield, with populations all over the country. Elsewhere, Caterham, Ware and Harlow get frequent mentions. ![]() These major roads connect London to the Chilterns, and it's likely the birds gradually moved east from the hills, following the roadkill. From Reading to Yeading, the M4 corridor is particularly replete, ditto the M40. Clapham Common, Stepney and Greenwich are as central as we've heard so far. Sightings in inner London are rare, however. The deepest clusters are to the west, closer to the Chilterns where they were originally reintroduced. As you can see, the birds are reasonably widespread around the south east. ![]()
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