CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE POPULATION STATUSOF THE RED KITE Milvus milvus

CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE POPULATION STATUS
OF THE RED KITE Milvus milvus

Introduction

The Red Kite is one of Europe’s most threatened birds of prey. Numbering 11000-13000 pairs, this species is patchily distributed, comprising several populations, some of which have recently suffered major bottlenecks, (May CA, 1993). The Red Kite is a large bird of prey, its body is rusty chestnut-brown with a paler golden to white head with dark streaks. Its characteristic forked pale chestnut tail most easily distinguishes the Red Kite. The Kites legs are bright yellow, as are its eyes and black-tipped beak, (www.rspb.org.uk/birds). Although the Red Kite dose not feature on the red list of endangered species Red Kite populations have showed declines during the 20th century, as a result of human pressure and changes in land use. The decline in the European population has been reflected within the UK where intense persecution over the past 200 years led to the extinction of the majority of the ...