Red kites ARE safe around livestock

Northern Ireland success story

March 2011: Red kites have become a welcome and familiar sight for the people of South Down over the past three years, thanks to RSPB Northern Ireland's reintroduction of this inspirational bird of prey.

FLYING FOOD: Kites target young crows - and so the  adults can often be seen chasing them away from their nests

According to Robert Straughan, RSPB's red kite project officer, it is the start of one of the most important periods in the red kites' year as new pairs form and begin gathering sticks to build nests. However, Robert freely admits that while he looks forward to spring gladly now, it was one season he used to greet with trepidation.

Kites have been seen as a threat during lambing
‘I must admit in the initial stages of the project, spring was a worrying time as kites may have been seen by some as a threat during the lambing season. Now though, because of the work we've done with local farmers and landowners, as well as their own experience of the non-threatening nature of these birds, they know that kites pose no threat at all to the newborn lambs.

‘If the kites are hanging around fields with the stock, I reiterate they're only interested in the afterbirth, docked tails or any lambs which may have died and gone unnoticed.'

Kites now old enough to breed
With the anxiousness put behind him, spring now has a far more exciting feel as many of the kites are now old enough to pair up and have offspring of their own. To feed the ever-hungry brood, kites will often take young crows and magpies, thus keeping the corvid population in check.

‘We often see crows chasing kites during the year, harassing them away from their sites,' said Robert. ‘But nature comes full circle and the crows provide sustenance for these Northern Irish born kites, which is no bad thing.'

Robert is keen to find out where the birds are nesting and is appealing to farmers and landowners who think they may have kites nesting on their land to contact RSPB Northern Ireland. Last year red kites began breeding in Northern Ireland for the first time in 200 years, with four pairs producing five young.

‘The support of the local community and our funders was instrumental to their rapid establishment and continued recovery,' remarked Robert. ‘I hope that we see more pairings and more chicks.'