Red Kites in the Brecon Beacons

This magnificently graceful bird of prey is unmistakable with its reddish-brown body, angled wings and deeply forked tail. It was persecuted almost to extinction in the UK and saved at the eleventh hour by one of the world's longest-running protection programmes. It has now been successfully re-introduced to England and Scotland. Red kites are listed and protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The Red Kite’s scientific name is milvus milvus and it belongs to the same bird family as hawks and eagles. They mainly eat carrion and worms but were trapped and poisoned because they will occasionally take small mammals and gamekeepers believed they took young birds. As well as this they were a prime target for egg collectors and bounty hunters who robbed nests. There are now 1600 breeding pairs in the UK and they are resident all year with us.

Setting up the conservation and re-introduction programme was difficult. There is a low rate of chick production in Welsh kites, largely because it is a very marginal habitat as well as the damage inflicted by humans.

Until now, the red kites have enjoyed the goodwill of local people, and it is important for the long term survival of the birds that this continues. The main threats they face now are illegal poisoning by bait left out for foxes and crows, secondary poisoning by rodenticides, and collisions with power cables.

When you visit the Brecon Beacons we strongly recommend a visit to the Red Kite Feeding Station & Rehabilitation Centre near Rhayader. Even if you are not a birdwatcher normally, this is a wonderful experience. You are allocated a hide and can see literally hundreds of Red kites coming down. If you are lucky you will catch a glimpse of the albino kite who is completely white!