The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) is one of our most captivating and acrobatic birds of prey. Their bowed wings and unmistakable forked tail soaring high above make for a spectacular and welcome site. But, as recently as the 1980s these birds were a rarity in the UK requiring a trip to the deepest, darkest depths of Wales for even the chance of an encounter.
These days, following several re-introduction initiatives, they are becoming a common site in many areas of the UK.
Persecution
Red Kites are scavengers and were actually protected in England as far back as the middle ages for their usefulness at clearing the streets of festering carrion. But soon they became too successful and their numbers increased to a level where people began to consider them vermin.
Britain’s much loved bard Shakespeare was not a fan, in his play King Lear he derogatorily described the character Goneril as “a detested kite”. Their fragile public relations were further damaged by their unfortunate habit of stealing unattended clothing left out to dry dry.
By the 16th century this all came to a head when they became officially considered vermin and, in an attempt to reduce their numbers, they were actively persecuted under laws passed that placed a bounty on their heads.
Their numbers subsequently declined and by the 20th century, with the added burden of collectors stealing their eggs, they soon became very rare indeed with only a few individuals surviving in the UK.
Red Kite Revival
In the late 1980s the red kite became the subject of several conservation projects aimed at re-introducing these birds to areas of the UK where they were locally extinct.
Re-introductions in Scotland and England were carried out with great success using birds from Spain, Sweden and Germany. In fact, the British Trust for Ornithology reports that as of 2022 there were 4,400 breeding pairs following a 2232% increase in numbers between 1995 and 2022.
Keep Your Eyes on the Road
The words husk, soar and kettle are all used to describe a group of red kites. Thanks to these fantastic conservation programs a kettle of red kites is now a common sight in many areas of the UK, not least along the southern end of the M40 motorway in south-central England where husks of red kites can often be seen.
If you want to see really huge soar of red kites then there are feeding stations in Wales where you can see very large numbers gathering for a free feed. We’re hoping to go soon!