Gardens Turning Red

RSPB Press Release:

A record number of red kites were spotted during this year’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, the latest signal that the bird’s reintroduction programme has been a success.There was an increase of over 130% since last year in sightings of red kites during the weekend of the survey, and they moved to number 53 in the rankings of most frequently seen birds in gardens.At the turn of the 20^th century, there were just a handful of red kites in the UK, and the few that remained were confined to remote Welsh valleys.From the 16^th century, people were encouraged to kill red kites as “vermin“ and 400 years of deliberate persecution followed.As they became rarer, red kites were the targets of egg collectors and taxidermists and soon fewer than a dozen pairs of kites survived in the Welsh valleys.With legal protection, reduced persecution and thanks to the dedicated efforts of conservationists, the Welsh birds began to expand slowly, but by the 1980s, they were still confined to Welsh mountains and remained very vulnerable.A jigsaw of red kite reintroductions across the UK began in 1990 to help bring the kite back to its former range and have proved to be one of the greatest conservation success stories ever. Seven per cent of the world’s red kite population is now in the UK.More red kites were recorded in this year’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch than ever before. Only the birds that landed in gardens were officially recorded, but numerous comments on survey forms and online forums suggest even more were seen flying over gardens, and the results are further proof that the birds are continuing to flourish.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 recognize them and get to enjoy them close to home.”Jeff Knott, RSPB Species Policy Officer, says: “Red kites are one of our most elegant birds of prey and they are a spectacular sight. I defy anyone that gets to see them flying over their garden not to be in awe of them and the increase in Big Garden Birdwatch sightings is great news for both the public and the birds themselves.“The survey results are the latest proof that red kites are again prospering in the wider countryside, a vast improvement from the situation only 20 years ago.“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.Even in some areas of the UK, illegal poisoning remains a significant problem. 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

© Phil Pickin