ON RED ALERT
The successful reintroduction of the red kite has meant that these stunning raptors are now a common sight across south-west and central Scotland, finds Cal Flyn
Thanks to several successful reintroduction programmes, red kite numbers are on the rise once more
The conservation of the red kite is one of Britain’s biggest wildlife success stories. This beautiful raptor – instantly recognisable thanks to its russet body feathers, forked tail and pale panels of its underwings – was once common across much of Scotland, but was extinct here by the 1870s.
Duncan Orr-Ewing, head of species and land management at RSPB Scotland, has played a major role in restoring this bird to the Scottish skies, explaining that their diminishing numbers were ‘due to killing on sporting estates and the Victorian passion for taxidermy and egg collecting’.
By the turn of the 20th century, there were only five breeding pairs left in the whole of the British Isles – all of which were confined to west Wales – prompting conservationists to proffer them a helping hand. Starting in the 1980s, a multi-faceted reintroduction programme has seen numbers rebound. ‘The current red kite population in the UK is estimated at 6,000 breeding pairs,’ says Duncan. ‘So, yes, this is possibly one of the most successful bird of prey reintroductions ever.’
In Scotland, there have been four separate reintroductions, beginning in the Black Isle between 1989 and 1994. A project in the Stirling area followed in 1996 to 2001, and in Dumfries and Galloway from that year until 2005. These three regions remain the best places in the country to catch a glimpse of the birds, if you have yet to see them for yourself.
If you’d like to see them close up, your best bet is likely one of the feeding stations. RSPB volunteers put out a small amount of meat for the kites every afternoon at Tollie Red Kites near Dingwall, Rossshire, as part of a long-running partnership with the Brahan Estate. The birds, well-used to the practice, tend to gather and swirl in anticipation, before swooping low to grab what they can.
Ravens and buzzards are also keen feeding station attendees. Entrance is free, and the visitors centre has a glass gable end overlooking the feeding station, offering a useful vantage point in wet weather.
As it’s spring, you might also be fortunate enough to witness courtship displays, which should be taking place around now, as younger birds coming into breeding age find partners and older birds re-establish their pair-bond with existing mates. Red kites are usually highly loyal, setting up home with the same individual year after year – even returning to the same nest site after a winter spent gallivanting apart.
Look out for two adult red kites – large birds, with wingspans of five feet or more – circling one another high in the sky. They might chase one another, spin together and apart, cry out to one another and even pass food between them.
Those in Central Scotland may prefer to head to Argaty Red Kites, near Doune, one of the best-known red kite sites. Lynn Bowser, who runs the reintroduction project, says they opened to the public 17 years ago, with the first releases starting in 1996. In total, 100 chicks from Germany were released and are now a common sight in the area.
‘There is still a great deal of misinformation about the birds and what they might eat,’ she says. ‘For example, many people think they could kill a lamb, or a fully grown pheasant. This just isn’t true – they live mainly off carrion, taking only very small live prey like voles.’
Their feeding station, she stresses, offers the kites ‘only a snack’. ‘It would be completely counter-productive to hold a false number in one area. Not only would the reintroduction project be slowed, but the balance of the food chain would be adversely impacted.’ From spring until autumn, venison scraps are left out every day at 2:30pm, and booking is highly recommended.
Alternatively, in the south, head to Bellymack Hill Farm, near Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway where as many as 100 birds have been seen at one time. Or drive or cycle the Red Kite Trail through the local area, a 24-mile road route around Loch Ken, and – in summer – an additional 16 miles on forest tracks, which features interpretation boards, nature walks and sculptures.
The fourth red kite reintroduction in Scotland took place in Aberdeenshire from 2007 to 2009. These birds have been known to range from the Cairngorms to Angus, and even into the city itself. In the south of England, red kites are a common sight: in central Reading, a 2017 study reported that 300 of the birds of prey were ‘commuting’ into the city daily because thousands of Reading residents were leaving out food in their back gardens.
However, most conservation bodies do not recommend the practice, which may cause an artificial boom in numbers and encourage loutish behaviour as birds increasingly steal from barbeques and picnic tables, not unlike urban foxes.
The prospect of too many kites – even in a localised area – would once have seemed outlandish, and is testament to the hard work of many devoted conservationists, like Orr-Ewing. But, he warns, red kites are not out of the woods yet.
‘In Scotland, we still have only 350 breeding pairs, which is low in comparison to Wales, where there are another 1,000, and England, where the rest mostly live. And set in the broader context, the UK has more than 15% of the world population of
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The prospect of too many kites would once have seemed outlandish
this species, and they are under threat in much of their core range in continental Europe.’
Red kites continue to be at significant risk of persecution, too. ‘A lot of kites breed in lowland areas, where there is pheasant shooting, where there is not a major issue for kites. But we do still find problems on grouse moors, for whatever reason. I don’t understand why gamekeepers kill them, as they pose no threat to grouse, but in Perthshire and Moray they have really struggled to get a foothold.’
The Black Isle population was badly affected by a horrific spate of deaths in 2014, when 12 kites and four buzzards were found to have consumed bait laced with three banned substances. Despite a resounding public outcry, a £27,000 reward for information, and the use of a specially-trained police sniffer dog, no prosecutions were ever made. The case was closed in 2017.
Just last June, three red kites were found dead near Kirkcudbright – at least two of which were poisoned – while across the border in North Yorkshire in August a red kite was found dead on a farm in Nidderdale. A post-mortem confirmed that the bird had survived two separate shootings before later succumbing to poisoning by pesticide. These beautiful birds remain highly vulnerable – not only to direct persecution, but death by consuming poisoned bait left for other pests.
Still, says Duncan, if left to their own devices, the birds should spread and repopulate much of lowland Scotland. Keep your eyes peeled – they soar over fields and urban areas with a smooth, almost lazy, motion. And listen, too, for their mewling, vibrato calls. A symbol of hope for all of us who wish for a little bit of wildness in our lives.