Are white-tailed kite endangered?

Are red kites listed under the Wildlife Act?

Red kites are listed under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act. Mainly carrion and worms, but opportunistic and will occasionally take small mammals. UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March.

How did the red kite become protected?

It was saved from national extinction by one of the world’s longest-running protection programmes. It has now been successfully re-introduced to England and Scotland. Red kites are listed under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Is the red kite on the IUCN Red List?

Listed as Near Threatened on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Once considered a threat to game birds and domestic animals like cats and dogs, the red kite was hunted close to extinction in the UK.

How was the red kite saved from extinction?

It was saved from national extinction by one of the world’s longest-running protection programmes. It has now been successfully re-introduced to England and Scotland. Red kites are listed under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act. Mainly carrion and worms, but opportunistic and will occasionally take small mammals.

What is the red kite re-introduction programme?

The re-introduction programme run by RSPB, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage, with support and sponsorship from many other bodies, started in 1989 and has helped to establish red kites in several areas of England and Scotland, and their range and numbers are slowly expanding.

What’s inside a red kite’s nest?

The nest of a red kite is an untidy affair, often built on top of an old Crow’s nest. It is lined with sheep’s wool and decorated with all kinds of objects like paper, plastic and cloth. The Wildlife Trusts work closely with farmers and landowners to ensure that our wildlife is protected and to promote wildlife-friendly practices.

Is the red kite on the brink of extinction?

The red kite’s survival has been one of the conservation success stories of the twentieth century. Until very recently, the bird of prey was on the brink of extinction with only a few birds living in the hills of the Cambrian Mountains in mid Wales.

Will the removal of red kite birds jeopardise their survival?

The removal of birds for the project does not jeopardise the survival of the population from which the birds are taken. The red kite is one of few bird species in Britain that fulfils all the criteria. In 1989, six Swedish birds were released at a site in north Scotland and four Swedish and one Welsh bird in Buckinghamshire.

What do red kites do in the wild?

The species has returned to its previous habitats quickly, particularly urban landscapes. Red Kites are an important species to have around; they are mostly scavengers, feeding on animals that have already died, however they also hunt rodents and small mammals.

What do the wing tags mean on the red kites?

All the birds released as a part of the reintroduction programme and a proportion of the wild-fledged young have been fitted with coloured wing tags, each with a number/letter combination that allows for individual recognition. Please report any sightings of tagged red kites to the BTO website.

What makes the red kite a conservation success story?

Thanks to this pioneering reintroduction programme in the Chilterns, increased legal protection and collaboration amongst partners, the red kite stands out as a true conservation success story.

Is there a red kite in the UK?

By the 1980s, the red kite was one of only three globally threatened species in the UK. Ian Evans: On 10th and 19th July 1990, two Welsh birds and 11 Spanish birds from the region of Navarra were released in the Chilterns Hills on the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border.

When did the red kite re-introduction programme start?

In 1989 a re-introduction programme was set up by the RSPB and the Nature Conservancy Council because of concerns about the slow rate of population expansion in Wales, and the improbability of natural re-colonisation of other suitable parts of the UK by red kites from Wales or the continent.

What kind of bird is a red kite?

The Red kite is a medium-large graceful bird of prey. It belongs to the family of diurnal raptors, which also includes eagles, buzzards, and harriers. This elegant bird soars on long wings held at a dihedral, with a long forked tail, twisting as it changes direction. The body, upper tail, and wing coverts are rufous.

What do red kites eat in the wild?

Red kites have a varied diet, consisting primarily of small mammals including voles, mice, rats, moles, shrews and young hares and rabbits. They are also renowned scavengers and will feed on carrion such as dead sheep and birds. In spring, red kites will eat plenty of earthworms.

What is the red kite’s relationship with other birds?

The Red Kite has a tenuous relationship with its close cousin the Buzzard and a particularly strained relationship with that formidable member of the crow family the Raven but that notwithstanding these birds share the same hunting and nesting areas. They can often be seen associating together.

Is Wales still worth visiting to see the red kite?

To me these birds are an icon, it has such strong associations with Wales that many people regard it as our national bird; indeed the Powys County Council has adopted it as their symbol. Wales is still worth visiting to see the Red Kite.

Is the red kite making a comeback in Norfolk?

Three decades ago, the red kite was extinct in England – but this majestic bird has made a “triumphant comeback” to Norfolk’s skies thanks to a radical reintroduction scheme. Conservation groups are celebrating the 30th anniversary of a pioneering project to bring the red kite back from the brink of extinction.

Can you go to jail for killing a red kite?

Because of their near-extinction, red kites are now fiercely protected, with anyone killing them facing up to six months in jail. Two-year-old Frankie Bird was rushed to hospital with nasty cuts, after a kite tried to snatch a custard cream biscuit from his small hand

Why are there no more kites in Wales?

It became apparent that due to the low rate of chick production by the Welsh kites, largely caused by the marginal habitat the birds live in, combined with the activities of egg collectors and illegal poisoning, the birds would be unlikely to be able to spread out of Wales.

Are red kites wreaking havoc in Henley-on-Thames?

But now soaring numbers of the majestic birds are wreaking havoc in genteel Henley-on-Thames, writes JANE FRYER Above the crooked rooftops, timbered gables, colourful hanging baskets, upmarket restaurants and cobbled streets of Henley-on-Thames, the sky swirls with enormous red kites.

Are there red kites in Britain?

The red kite is one of few bird species in Britain that fulfils all the criteria. In 1989, six Swedish birds were released at a site in north Scotland and four Swedish and one Welsh bird in Buckinghamshire.

What is being done to help red kites?

The assistance of landowners and their representatives, gamekeepers and farmers over a wide area who have Red Kites on their land is readily acknowledged, as is the care provided for sick and injured birds by several veterinary practices, rehabilitation centres, the staff of Harewood Bird Garden and the RSPCA.

Why is it a crime to kill a red kite?

The red kite was once a common bird in towns and cities where it scavenged for scraps. It was a crime to kill one as they were so useful for rubbish management. Learn how to identify the UK’s birds of prey with our quick guide to their calls, key features and likely hangouts.

What do the different wing-tag colour codes mean?

There is a UK-wide wing-tag colour coding system, details of which are shown on the accompanying chart. The colour of the tag on the left wing indicates where it was tagged, whilst the right-wing tag colour shows the year of tagging. Each tag has a coloured band across it, showing the colour of the tag on the other wing.