In the United Kingdom, the breeding population eventually became restricted to a handful of pairs in Wales, but recently the Welsh population has been supplemented by re-introductions in England and Scotland. Red Kite, top, mobbing an adult White-tailed Eagle. Their scavenging nature makes them particularly vulnerable to accidental secondary poisoning, where they scavenge the carcass of an animal that has been poisoned and succumb to the poison themselves. In reality, they will only take small live prey as well as carrion, and will rob other birds. Rumours spread amongst the farming community that they were capable of killing sheep, as they were often found scavenging off animal carcasses. In the Middle Ages, Red Kites were much more widespread, their scavenging habits making them the refuse collectors of the day, but their numbers have much decreased through illegal persecution and poisoning. In winter, many kites will roost together.Īt signs of danger a mother will signal the young who will 'play dead' to the extent that a fox will believe them to be dead and leave them, thinking it can return to eat them later. This species nests in trees, often close to other kites. The call is a thin piping, similar to but less mewling than Common Buzzard. Sexes are similar, but juveniles have a buff breast and belly. The white primary flight feathers contrast with the black wing tips and dark secondaries. The body, upper tail and wing coverts are rufous. It is an elegant bird, soaring with long wings held at a dihedral, and long forked tail twisting as it changes direction. It is a European rare species which is resident in the milder parts of its range, but birds from northern and central Europe winter further south and west. The Red Kite ( Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |