28 April 2011

Near Extinct Red Kite Makes 'Remarkable' Comeback

The RSPB says that the near extinct red kite is making a "remarkable" comeback.

The charity says that a record number of breeding pairs, as many as 2,000, were spotted during its 2011 Big Garden Birdwatch survey.

That's an increase of 130% on the previous year and the RSPB says it is the latest indication that the bird's reintroduction programme has been a success.

At the turn of the 20th century there were just a handful of red kites in the UK and the few that remained were confined to remote Welsh valleys.

Several red kite reintroductions across the UK began in 1990. Today 7% of the world's red kite population is now in the UK.

Sarah Kelly, Big Garden Birdwatch Co-Ordinator, says: "We were delighted to see red kites appearing on so many survey results forms.

"Of course it doesn't mean that they landed on bird tables or hung off feeders like garden birds, but it does mean that they were spotted around more homes and gardens than ever which is fantastic news as a few years ago we would have had far fewer sightings. We are heartened that so many people recognise them and get to enjoy them close to home."

Remarkable Success Story

Jeff Knott, RSPB Species Policy Officer, says: "Red kites are one of our most elegant birds of prey and they are a spectacular sight. They were once almost completely eradicated from the UK and thanks to the work of organisations like the RSPB and its partners, and local people that have grown to love these birds, they are the subject of a remarkable success story which we hope will long continue."

While red kites are currently doing very well in the UK, elsewhere in Europe they continue to be badly affected by illegal poisoning.

With big declines in the species' core range, the importance of the UK for red kites in global terms seems likely to further increase over the coming years.

The charity says that illegal poisoning remains a significant problem in some parts of the UK.

The Black Isle in the north of Scotland was the site of one of the first two reintroduction projects in the UK.

The same number of birds were released over the same years as in the Chilterns in England, yet while the population in the latter has increased to over 400 pairs, there are still barely 50 pairs of red kites around the Black Isle.

A recent scientific study showed deaths as a result of illegal poisoning explain almost all of this difference.

The RSPB has a series of red kite 'Date with Nature' projects around the UK this summer, enabling you to see the birds up close and personal for yourselves.

Sites include Ceredigion, Argaty and Knebworth, to find one near you visit: www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature