(On that occasion, it was the dog trying to chase the kite!). Interestingly, I did have to visit an elderly couple, who found themselves staring at a red kite on their rug infront of the fire in their bungalow! I have a photo of the lady carrying out the kite, but for reasons of privacy I didn't post it. Even when work is taking place at the active nest (collecting chicks, for example) the adults usually just circle slowly in the immediate vicinity, keeping a close eye on what is going on. However, they are generally tolerant of other raptors away from the nest, with only the occasional 'tussle' taking place.Īdditionally, kites are not territorial, except for their immediate nesting area during the breeding season.ĭeborah, no, this 'mobbing' behaviour you suggest is not typical of kite behaviour. Deary me.įor obvious reasons Red Kites will not tolerate other raptors in their immediate nesting area. Just imagine 14 of them, all crapping to their hearts content, in a holding pen. The worse crapped-on episode to date, was when one of them hit the bulls eye. Unfortunately, being close to kites on a daily basis, means getting crapped on regularly, sometimes at close quarters! So, if that is supposed to be lucky, I must be the luckiest person ever to walk this earth. I hope to learn a little more about this particular 'story'. They tend to struggle with anything heavier. Jack Russell dogs running around tend not to be part of their diet, however much people convice themselves they are.ĭespite their impressive size, the kite isn't a physically strong bird, their prey size is usually no larger than a small rabbit. Kites feed on primarily carrion, however they will and do take live prey, which usually consist of small mammals (mice, voles, and so on), small birds (usually the sick/injured ones). What does happen, quite often, in the Chilterns, is that people tend to think every large bird is automatically a red kite. Find out more about identifying all our birds of prey on our species explorer. Other rare species that breed in the UK include goshawk, white-tailed eagle and long-eared owl. I have even had one person telling me a red kite was 'circling' above her grandchild lay in her pram! Mottled yellowy-brown above and pale below, with dark circles around its yellow eyes and short ‘ear tufts’. I often receive emails and telephone calls from people asking me if kites are capable of taking dogs, cats, grandkids, etc etc. In the case I discussed, the kite was exhibiting normal behaviour (taking an item of clothing to take back to the nest, although in this particular case, it was a lady's favourite blouse!). See also: our map of parakeet sightings in the London and south east.I did a live interview a few months ago on the local BBC radio, about one of these stories doing the rounds. Image: Tony Hisgett under creative commons licence They often hang out in pairs and occasionally larger groups. Their feather patterns are also easy to distinguish, with ruddy, white and black feathers. CALL The main call is similar to the simple call of the Red Kite, a high, whistled. They have distinctive fan-shaped tails that, in adults, end in two points. It has an unexpected wader-like whistle for such a large bird. With centres of high population in the Chilterns, Wales, Yorkshire and eastern Scotland, Red Kites can be seen circling and drifting above. They're pretty much the largest bird in the London sky, and glide around without much flapping, as birds of prey generally do. The Red Kite was persecuted to the point of extinction in Britain, just about hanging on in Wales, but a late 20th century reintroduction programme has transformed the fortunes of this species. How to spot a red kite Image: Synaptic Refuge under creative commons licence Now, their numbers are so great that they're a daily sight for many Londoners. Breeding pairs were reintroduced to the Chilterns in 1990s, and they've made a steady recovery ever since. The distinctive birds all-but-died-out in the UK in Victorian times, thanks to habitat loss, hunting and improvements in waste disposal (they are scavengers), though a few pairs clung on in Wales. If you'd like to add to the map, please leave a comment below or respond on our Facebook or Twitter threads. We asked readers only for sightings in the south east, and that's what we've mapped. Red kites can be found further afield, with populations all over the country. Elsewhere, Caterham, Ware and Harlow get frequent mentions. These major roads connect London to the Chilterns, and it's likely the birds gradually moved east from the hills, following the roadkill. From Reading to Yeading, the M4 corridor is particularly replete, ditto the M40. Clapham Common, Stepney and Greenwich are as central as we've heard so far. Sightings in inner London are rare, however. The deepest clusters are to the west, closer to the Chilterns where they were originally reintroduced. As you can see, the birds are reasonably widespread around the south east.
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