Red kites are Northern Ireland’s high fliers

COMEBACK: Red kites are breeding in Northern Ireland

September 2011: Four years after the first red kites were reintroduced to Ireland, the RSPB and Golden Eagle Trust have announced that in 2011, 16 pairs successfully bred to fledge 25 young in Counties Wicklow and Down.

‘I cannot tell you how thrilled we are that from having no red kites in Northern Ireland four years ago, we have now have a fledgling breeding population,' said Adam McClure, RSPB red kite officer. ‘It has been a real labour of love and so many people have contributed to this process. The return of red kites to our skies is a tribute to all of them.'

The story of the red kite is one of the few conservation success stories of our times. Made extinct here in the 18th century, largely due to human persecution, the Golden Eagle Trust and RSPB NI, in partnership with the Welsh Kite Trust decided to attempt a large scale species reintroduction.

Farmers have been extremely supportive
Red kites normally breed for the first time when they are two to three years old, so it was an anxious couple of years to see if the birds would pair up and successfully breed, which they did in 2010, the first time red kite chicks have been hatched here in more than 200 years.

‘We had so many volunteers and well-wishers,' said Adam, ‘But most important was the co-operation given by local farmers who have been extremely supportive; the fact that the Ulster Farmers' Union now has the red kite on their logo is superb.'

Despite these successes, unfortunately, it hasn't all been good news. Since the project began in Northern Ireland in 2008, they have suffered a number of losses due to misuse of pesticides in the countryside. Due to their scavenging nature and lack of threat to livestock or game, we do not believe that red kites were the intended targets of these poisoned carcasses; however this highlights how misuse of banned poisons can have devastating consequences.

‘Finding an injured, dying, or even dead, bird was heartbreaking,' he said. ‘Robert Straughan who was red kite officer in the first three years of the project would be deeply upset as he tried to either rehabilitate or had to report the loss of the bird. Using poison bait in this indiscriminate manner is of course illegal and the RSPB still campaigns vigorously against this kind of malicious persecution of birds of prey in other parts of the UK.'