Red Kites were once ubiquitous across Europe but faced heavy persecution. The UK’s population was reduced to just a handful of breeding birds confined to Wales only. In addition to being killed as ‘vermin’, egg collectors raided Red Kite nests.
Today, there are more than 10,000 red kites across Britain. “In a few short decades we have taken a species from the brink of extinction to the UK being home to almost 10% of the entire world population.” Its Chilterns reintroduction by Natural England, the RSPB and other partners saw it spread along the M40 corridor, eating carrion found on the motorway.
The graceful Red Kite is larger than a Buzzard and has long wings and a very distinctive forked tail, which makes the kites very agile in flight. Red kites can weigh between 800g-1.3kg. Females tend to be bigger, between 1-1.3kg, while males are 800-1.2kg. Their wingspan can be nearly 2m long, around 175-195cm.
They are often seen feeding upon dead animals, chicks, beetles, small mammals, and earthworms. These birds of prey can be seen all year round and are most active during the day.
Once rare, red kites are becoming a pest because too many people feed them. “We believe that red kites are clustering over our villages because they have become accustomed to being fed.” Many are also killed on the roads.
One of the best places to see them in the UK is Gigrin Farm near Rhayader, mid-Wales, where hundreds are fed by local farmers. This helps sustain and increase the kite population through extra food, and also acts as a tourism draw.
Can a red kite take a cat?
It is highly unlikely a kite will tackle a cat. Red kites eat carrion, invertebrates and small rodents. Could a red kite take a puppy? Red kites have a 5ft wingspan. But they would not pick up a dog. Sam Stokes said red kites usually targeted worms and road kill. At this time of year they can become territorial if nesting. Red kites eat dead animals they find. They also feed on chicks, small mammals and beetles, earthworms.
I went and stood next to her. But the kite kept getting lower. It made me nervous. So I put her indoors. After I put her inside I went back out. I wanted to see if perhaps there was something else the kite was after. But it had gone. I know it couldn’t have taken her. She is too heavy. But I worried it might try. It could do damage with its claws.
Hawks will grab small kittens or cats and carry them to nests. The Steppe Eagle has a 7.5 feet wingspan. This suggests it could probably lift a 15 pound cat. However, most hawks are smaller. So they would not carry such a large prey. In general, most hawks could pick up a 10 pound cat.
Red Kites can snatch fish close to the surface. They are listed as near threatened. They will occasionally take live prey like rats and mice. But these make up little of their diet. It is unlikely a kite will tackle a cat. They can only tackle prey the size of young rabbits. The Alpine chough flies the highest. Peregrines and sparrowhawks kill racing pigeons. They cause injury or disruption to flocks. Over 200 red kites circle above roosts. Then they settle in trees for the night.
Dad says red kites will take live prey. He’s seen this while cutting hay. The rabbits run out. The kites hang around for the dead bits. They will try for live prey while there. In the garden, the kites likely hang round in a thermal. The cat hides instinctively. It would be unusual for a red kite to attack a dog. But they are opportunistic and can take small mammals. Red kites were reintroduced in 1989.
Red kites prefer to eat dead animals and road kill. They have taken smaller animals like mice, voles, rabbits, crows and pigeons. But they are fairly weak hunters. They also eat invertebrates like beetles in Spring. Two thirds of red kites breed in Germany. Significant populations are in France and Spain. But the Spanish wintering population has declined by 50%. So UK red kites are increasingly important globally.
Would a red kite take a small dog?
Red kites eat mainly dead animals that they are able to find (carrion) – their feet are too weak to kill any prey much bigger than a small rabbit. They will also feed on insects such as beetles and earthworms.
A couple of days prior to egg laying, kites decorate the nest with rubbish and oddments they find near the nest. The red kite is a highly social species, particularly in winter, when large numbers of birds gather at the end of each day at traditional communal roosting sites. Over 200 birds have been counted circling together above a roost wood in the Chilterns, before settling in the trees for the night.
The red kite is a colourful raptor that is as elegant in flight as when perched. It soars in wide circles high in the sky with slow, regular wing beats, using its forked tail to steer. They were saved from extinction in the UK by a long-running protection programme, and have been successfully reintroduced in England and Scotland.
Red kites eat mainly dead animals that they are able to find (carrion) – their feet are too weak to kill any prey much bigger than a small rabbit. They will also feed on insects such as beetles and earthworms. The red kite is a highly social species, particularly in winter, when large numbers of birds gather at the end of each day at traditional communal roosting sites. The red kite is a colourful raptor that is as elegant in flight as when perched.
What does a red kite do?
The red kite is a medium-large bird of prey. Its wingspan is 69 to 77 inches. Females tend to be slightly larger than males. The red kite lives mainly in landscapes with forests, on the edges of forests near fields, and on the outskirts of settlements. It prefers areas that are close to a body of water.
The red kite’s silhouette is marked by its signature forked tail that works like a rudder to help it change direction. It mainly feeds on carrion, small mammals, and insects or earthworms. The red kite tends to mate for life. Nests are made of sticks in the forks of trees.
There has been a decline in the population of red kites in the world. In the United Kingdom, red kites were once found only in Wales. The Welsh kites are now returning to different parts of the UK. It is no longer rare to see a red kite in Britain.
Red kites are found in woodlands, valleys, and wetland edges. They are listed as a nearly threatened species.
The red kite is a highly social species. Large numbers gather at traditional roosting sites to spend the night. Over 200 have been counted circling together above a roost wood before settling in the trees.
Red kites are more slender than buzzards. The main way to tell them apart is the tail. The buzzard tail is short and broad. The red kite tail is very long and forked.
Red kites are easiest to spot mid-morning when hunting. They give a loud, distinctive screech as they soar.
Courtship takes place during February and March. It can involve two birds flying behind each other using deep, exaggerated wing-beats.