| Kite Facts Quick Facts
This magnificently graceful bird of prey is unmistakable with its reddish-brown body, angled wings and deeply forked tail. It was saved from national extinction by one of the world's longest running protection programmes, and has now been successfully re-introduced to England and Scotland. It is an Amber List species because of its historical decline.
| Field Characters & IdentificationLatin Name:- Milvus milvus.Type:- Raptor.Length:- 60 - 66cm.Wingspan: 175-195cm Weight:- 800-1,300g Habitat:- Likes deciduous woodland with... | | Nesting & BreedingNest:- Dead twigs and lined with grass and other vegetation. A quantity of sheeps wool is often added 2-3 days prior to egg laying. Kites will include plastic bags, litter,... | | Conservation action The red kite is subject to the longest continuous conservation project in the world. Concerned individuals, appalled at the continuing destruction of kites, formed the first Kite... | | Population trendsThe red kite suffered from intensive human persecution through much of its world range, which is mainly in Europe, until the mid-1950s, but especially so between 1850 and 1900. This... | | Legal status & ThreatsRed Kites and the LawThe red kite is afforded the highest degree of legal protection under the Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to take,... | | Sightings of Kites Any sightings of kites outside the core area around Loch Ken should be reported to the RSPB. All the birds released as a part of the re-introduction programme and... | | |
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