Taxonomy
Milvus milvus | Red Kite | Cúr Rua / Préachán na gCearc
Distribution
Status
Conservation status
This species is Red-listed
according to Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland 2020-2026 and is of high
conservation value as a result.
The Red Kite is classified as
‘Near Threatened’ on a European scale according to the IUCN Red List and its
population trend is decreasing.
Species Biology
Identification
As the name suggests, the Red
Kite has a unique reddish-brown body. This is one of its main identification
features.
The body is streaked with darker
markings throughout.
The wings are angled and the orange-red
tail is deeply forked due to the outer tail feathers being much longer than the
central feathers.
The outer flight feathers are a
bright white colour and quickly turn black towards the fingered wingtips.
The head appears less vibrant
than the rest of this animal’s body with a dull greyish tone to it.
This raptor stands at
approximately 60-66 cm in length with a wingspan of 175-195 cm.
The larger female typically
outweighs the male at approximately 1.2 kg with the smaller male weighing
closer to 1 kg.
Diet
Being primarily a scavenger, the
Red Kite mainly feeds on carrion such as roadkill or other dead animals they
come across.
In addition to this scavenging
tendency, the Red Kite is highly opportunistic and will capture and kill live
prey when it sees fit, as well as stealing prey from other birds.
Prey items include small mammals,
young bird and even invertebrates such as earthworms.
Habitat
Red Kites are suited to areas of
open pasture and arable land with nearby wooded areas for nesting. They are
known to be associated with various farmland habitats and practices (Golden Eagle Trust Ireland, 2021).
Reproduction
The nests constructed by this
species are unique in the sense that they often consist of human based rubbish
such as clothes, plastic bags and string.
A clutch of 1-4 eggs is laid in
April at three-day intervals. These eggs weigh approximately 63 grams and will
hatch after an incubation period of 31-32 days per egg. The young fledge after
a period of 50-60 days.
Typical lifespan for this species
can range from 4-10 years.
Threats faced
This species is still very much
threatened by illegal poisoning through baits.
Conservation actions
By the early 19th century,
the Red Kite was extinct from Ireland (Golden Eagle Trust Ireland, 2021).
In 2007, a programme saw the reintroduction of the Red Kite to County Wicklow. This was followed up with another release programme in Fingal, Co. Dublin.
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
Irish distribution
Today, breeding is still very much restricted to the east coast of the country, close to the original reintroduction sites. They can be spotted roaming further West in some cases but are not wide-ranging.
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024
The following map is interactive. If you would prefer to view it full screen then click here.
Further information
BirdWatch Ireland:
https://birdwatchireland.ie/birds/red-kite/
The Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/red-kite/
British Trust for Ornithology: https://app.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob2390.htm
Golden Eagle Trust: https://www.goldeneagle.ie/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=675&Itemid=189
IUCN Red List: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22695072/60114427
References
Publications
IUCN, 2021a. Milvus milvus (Red Kite). [online] Available at:
<https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22695072/60114427> [Accessed 3 Jun.
2021].