British birds of prey red kite3/21/2023 ![]() They have a high-pitched squealing noise, a recording of which can be played on the RSPB website. If you are out for a walk in woodland, you will often hear the kites before you see them. I believe these kites are evidence that the Leeds population is extending northwards, and I hope that one day red kites will breed in York, and be a regular feature. In my experience red kites are a rare sight in York, but in recent years I’ve seen them around the eastern side of the ring road, in the Woodthorpe-Rufforth area and also the Skelton-Shipton area. They were carried out at Harewood house – and now this area, and the city of Leeds, are strongholds for the kites. The Yorkshire red kite re-introductions were part of this success. It’s estimated the country could eventually support 10,000 breeding pairs. Red kites have been downgraded from Amber to Green on the ‘Birds of Conservation Concern’ list, a huge study published in 2015. How will Britain’s red kites fair in the future? Well, the reintroduction, apart from a few blips, has been an overwhelming success. Red kite chicks play dead while they are being handled, which makes ringing and tagging them extremely easy. Red kites also spend a lot of their time gliding. The tail can twist from side to side, acting a bit like an aerial rudder. Red kites are a great bird to identify, as they have long thin wings, and a forked tail which is usually visible if you get a long enough look. Despite their large size, with wing spans around 1.5 m, compared with other birds of prey they are not exactly voracious predators, feeding mostly on carrion, but also taking rabbits, chicks and invertebrates. Red kites are birds of mixed and open countryside. In this blog we’ll explore the causes of the decline and how the population recovered. It’s hard to comprehend that the species was once driven to near extinction in Britain. ![]() Red kites are a magnificent part of British wildlife and an increasingly common sight in many areas across the country. ![]() Recently I saw a red kite flying over the road near Rufforth and this prompted me to explore the history of this bird of prey. This blog has been written by the incredibly knowledgeable Phil Taylor from Green Underwing who also leads our Discover Nature Ecotherapy session. Me with a kite chick and mostly blond hair.
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