Red Kite

Welsh refuge

The red kite was once common across Britain but was systematically persecuted throughout the 18th and 19th centuries — shot, poisoned, and trapped by gamekeepers and farmers who viewed all raptors as vermin. By the 1930s the entire British population had been reduced to perhaps six pairs in isolated Welsh valleys in the Cambrian Mountains. This tiny population was sustained by dedicated volunteer wardening throughout the 20th century.

Reintroduction success

Starting in 1989, red kites from Spain and Sweden were released at sites in England and Scotland. The reintroductions were spectacularly successful. By 2020, the British population exceeded 10,000 birds. The Chilterns population — one of the first reintroduction sites — is now so established that red kites are a routine sight over Oxford, Reading, and the M40 motorway. Local feeding stations in Wales attract hundreds of birds.

Flight identification

In flight, the red kite is unmistakable: a large, buoyant raptor with very long wings held slightly angled, a russet-red body, pale grey-white head, and a deeply forked tail that twists constantly as the bird manoeuvres. The forked tail and combination of colours are unique among British raptors. The bird soars and glides with extraordinary grace.

Medieval scavenger

Medieval London had large kite populations scavenging from butchers, fishmongers, and open sewers. Shakespeare references kites in multiple plays. The kite’s later decline was driven by improved sanitation (removing food sources) and relentless persecution. Its return is now one of British conservation’s defining achievements.