Red Kites are graceful birds of prey with reddish-brown feathers, angled wings and a deeply forked tail. Red Kites were once common throughout Britain and Ireland but they were persecuted almost to national extinction and also targeted by Victorian egg collectors. By the mid 1900s, only a few pairs were hanging on in Wales.
Thanks to a mammoth effort to protect these surviving birds, and then subsequently an effort to reinforce the population with birds from Europe, Red Kites are now making a comeback.
Photos: Michael Harvey for rspb-images.com
Action Needed
We need the grouse moor licensing provisions of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Act to be enforced and to serve as an effective wildlife crime deterrent. This also means that Police Scotland need to be adequately resourced to investigate all potential wildlife crime incidents.
Recreational disturbance is a growing concern. We all need to be responsible when we’re in the outdoors, not get too close to wildlife, and follow any signs or advice. Funding for seasonal rangers in key areas would help to inform the public and encourage everyone to do the right thing.
Threats
The species is particularly vulnerable to poisoning, and despite full legal protection, Red Kites still face persecution by humans, often associated with intensive gamebird shoot management.
Red Kites can also suffer from disturbance during nesting season, either by foresters and land managers or by people enjoying the outdoors.
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