Red Kites Milvus milvus
Tregaron, Wales. 12 January 2005

The magnificent Red Kite was once widespread throughout much of Britain, but after decades of persecution by gamekeepers and harrassment by egg-collectors (even as late as the early 1990’s up to 10 nests a year - 20% of the total nests in Wales at the time - were being robbed) their numbers had fallen by 1903 to less than five pairs, centred around a remnant group in mid-Wales. Fortunately, towards the end of the 18th century a few local landowners began an “unofficial” protection programme, and over the next hundred years efforts were made to keep this fragile breeding population from going extinct. Just how desperate the situation got can be understood from a study made by Nottingham University in 1977 that found that all Welsh Red Kites were descended from just ONE female!

Ceredigion, formerly known as Cardiganshire boasts the largest county population of Red Kites in Wales, with 122 breeding pairs recorded during the 2003 season, out of a Wales total of 299 “territories” recorded as occupied.

Eggs were laid in 234 of the 299 recorded Welsh nests, with an estimated 233 young eventually fledging.

The range of the kite is gradually expanding, as the increasing population has to go farther afield to find new territories, and 2003 saw the first Red Kite chicks fledged in Pembrokeshire for 150 years (though sadly one of them was soon afterwards found poisoned beneath its nest).

If assumptions are made about territories that may not have been discovered by the volunteers who contribute to the statistics, an estimate for the Welsh Red Kite population in 2003 was between 350-400 breeding pairs, rearing an estimated 273-312 young.

Between 1989 and 1994, Red Kites from Spain were imported and released into the Chilterns by the RSPB and English Nature. Red Kites started breeding in the Chilterns in 1992 and now there are over 130 breeding pairs in the area.

Since 1999 chicks have been taken from the Chilterns to re-introduction sites in other parts of the UK, and Red Kites now occur in:

• The Chilterns
• North Scotland (Inverness)
• Central Scotland (Stirling)
• Southern Scotland (Dumfries)
• The Midlands
• Yorkshire

So successful have the re-introductions been that in the latest assessment of birds of conservation concern in the UK (2002-2007), the RSPB removed the Red Kite from its red list (species of highest concern) to its amber list (species of medium conservation concern) - an action that was unthinkable when the last assessments were made in 1996.

So, congratulations to all concerned, and let’s hope that - if you live in the UK - this beautiful bird will soon be coming to a local patch near you…

(For birdwatchers Tregaron Bog (Cors Caron) National Nature Reserve is famous for its Red Kites, but it’s also valuable for its rare raised bog habitat and flora.

To really get good views of the entire area, a well-marked, easy walk along the old Aberystwyth-Carmarthen railway trackbed leads to an excellent hide-on-stilts - an excellent place in winter to see not only the kites, but Hen Harriers, Merlins and Common Buzzards, as well as a wildfowl and wetland shorebirds such as Curlews and Redshanks.

There’s more information about the wildlife of Cors Caron at the Red Kite Centre in the nearby town of Tregaron. From 3 April - 30 September the centre’s open 10.30am - 4.30pm, seven days a week. During the winter months, opening hours are 10.30am - 4.00pm on a Saturday and Sunday

From October - March the kites are fed by at 14:00pm by a local farmer at Pont Einon (about 2 miles outside Tregaron on the Aberystwyth road) which overlooks the bog and gives excellent views.)

Photographs taken at Pont Einon.

Adult Red Kite - note strongly rufous underparts, solidly grey head, and lack of tipping to the underwing’s greater coverts.

Juvenile Red Kite - note paler underparts, paler head, and pale tips to the underwing’s greater coverts.

Wing-tagged adult.

Wing-tagged adult.

Wing-tagged juvenile.

All photographs © Charlie Moores.