Red Kite Milvus milvus
Birds identified in Britain may come from one of three sources:
- Firstly there is a population of wild birds in Wales, which once declined to a critical position but has now recovered well and has even spread across the border into England. Birds from this population are relatively unlikely to be encountered in eastern England however.
- Secondly, birds from the Continent are scarce visitors to the UK. In Norfolk the majority appear in early spring and for me there are few more enjoyable sights than a migrating Red Kite moving west along the cliff-top fields at somewhere like Sheringham. At least one bird in a breeding pair in East Anglia recently was believed to be of Continental origin, and numbers of migrants increased in the late 1980s and 1990s, after which it became difficult to assess numbers of Continental birds due to the presence of reintroduced birds (see below).
- Thirdly, birds have been released in many parts of England and Scotland as part of a reintroduction scheme. These birds are doing well and spreading, and wandering individuals from this scheme may be encountered almost anywhere. Although released birds may carry a coloured wing-tag their progeny probably won't, so it is impossible to know if an individual away from the release centres belongs to a reintroduction scheme or is a Continental migrant.
Much as I enjoy seeing Red Kites, I think the decision to reintroduce this species was unfortunate. It was the first of an ongoing series of reintroduction schemes which have been becoming increasingly ill-considered. The purpose of such schemes is to restore a species to places where it formerly inhabited and the emphasis placed is always on conservation. However it is very obvious from the choices of species to reintroduce and the locations selected that these schemes have very little to do with conservation and much to do with publicity. There are clear guidelines laid down for reintroduction schemes which the bodies involved have all signed up to, but these are neglected or worked around in a manner which can only be described as dishonest.
As publicity stunts these reintroduction schemes are certainly successful. I would object less if the RSPB admitted that this is what they are and stopped pretending they are being done in the name of conservation.
Whatever their origins, Red Kites are on the increase in Norfolk with several breeding pairs now present.
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Lumbier, 18-Jun-09") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Lumbier, 18-Jun-09") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Lumbier, 18-Jun-09") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Lumbier, 18-Jun-09") |
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Red Kite, Lumbier (Navarre, Spain), 18th June 2009
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%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Sheringham, 10-Mar-07") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Sheringham, 10-Mar-07") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Sheringham, 10-Mar-07") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Sheringham, 10-Mar-07") |
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Red Kite, Sheringham (Norfolk, UK), 10th March 2007
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%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Evisa - Sagone, 15-Apr-08") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Evisa - Sagone, 15-Apr-08") |
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Red Kite, between Evisa and Sagone (Corsica, France), 15th April 2008
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(3)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(1)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(5)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(11)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(14)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(15).JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(16)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(20)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(21)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(22)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(23)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(24)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(27)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(28)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(29)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(30)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(33)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(35)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(36)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(37)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(38)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(39)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(41)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
(44)%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Burnham Norton, 21-Mar-12") |
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Red Kites, Burnham Norton (Norfolk, UK), 21st March 2012
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.JPG "Red Kite, Shernborne, 21-Feb-09") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Shernborne, 21-Feb-09") |
.JPG "Red Kite, Shernborne, 21-Feb-09") |
.JPG "Red Kite, Shernborne, 21-Feb-09") |
.JPG "Red Kite, Shernborne, 21-Feb-09") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Shernborne, 21-Feb-09") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Shernborne, 21-Feb-09") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Shernborne, 21-Feb-09") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Shernborne, 21-Feb-09") |
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first-winter Red Kite, Shernborne (Norfolk, UK), 21st February 2009
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%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Inmere, 20-Aug-10") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Inmere, 20-Aug-10") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Inmere, 20-Aug-10") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Inmere, 20-Aug-10") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Inmere, 20-Aug-10") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Inmere, 20-Aug-10") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Inmere, 20-Aug-10") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Inmere, 20-Aug-10") |
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Red Kite, between Fring and Inmere (Norfolk, UK), 20th August 2010 - a wing-tagged bird
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%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Docking - Bircham, 19-Apr-11") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Docking - Bircham, 19-Apr-11") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Docking - Bircham, 19-Apr-11") |
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Red Kite, between Docking and Bircham (Norfolk, UK), 19th April 2011
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.JPG "Red Kite, Houghton St Giles, 20-Mar-09") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Houghton St Giles, 20-Mar-09") |
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Red Kite, Houghton St Giles (Norfolk, UK), 20th March 2007
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.JPG "Red Kite, Levie - Sainte-Lucie, 17-Apr-08") |
%20L.JPG "Red Kite, Mourao, 21-Apr-06") |
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Red Kite, between Levie and Sainte-Lucie-de-Tallano (Corsica, France), 17th April 2008
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Red Kite, east of Mourão (Spain), 21st April 2006
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%20L.JPG "Red Kite, above Ochagavia, 20-Jun-09") |
.JPG "Red Kite, above Ochagavia, 20-Jun-09") |
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Red Kite, above Ochagavía (Navarre, Spain), 20th June 2009
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Red Kite, New Holkham (Norfolk, UK), 31st August 2011
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The best way to see a Red Kite in Britain - a Continental migrant moving west along the North Norfolk coast. (This image is a less-cropped version of the one shown further up this page).
%20T.JPG "Black Kite")
%20T.JPG "Marsh Harrier")