RSPB NI is appealing for members of the public to report sightings of majestic Red Kites in Northern Ireland as the 2023 breeding season gets underway.
Seeing these majestically graceful birds of prey soar through the skies is an unforgettable sight. Unmistakable with it’s reddish-brown body, their tail feathers fan out with a deep ‘v’ in the middle, creating a distinctive silhouette against the sky when they are in flight. They are often spotted gliding on warm sunny days over farmland, and RSPB NI needs your help to report any sightings of this iconic species.
Red Kite in flight, by Anne Guichard
As the season changes, Red Kites will be busy getting their nest sites ready. Known as quite the kleptomaniac as nests have been found with everything from gloves to crisp packets, tea towels, socks and the odd pair of underwear. It’s thought that Red Kites decorate their nests with colourful items to let others know the nest is in use. They are sometimes mistaken for Buzzards, but the main giveaway is their forked tail - their tail feathers fan out with a deep 'v' in the middle, creating a very distinctive silhouette against the sky when they are in flight.
Last year, RSPB NI received over 400 sightings from members of the public, and it is now believed that we have around 20 territorial pairs in Northern Ireland. While County Down remains a hot spot for the species, Red Kites have been spotted as far as the North Coast and Fermanagh. Listen out for their whistling ‘peeee-owww’ call on the wind! Sightings from the public are incredibly valuable in highlighting new territories we may not already know of. Most red kites in Northern Ireland have been fitted with a small brown tag on their left wing and a coloured tag for year of birth on their right wing to help with individual identification.
So if your out walking this spring and summer, keep your eyes to the skies and report any Red Kite sightings through the RSPB NI's online form which can be found here: https://forms.office.com/r/k7rdt4JQRY and provide as much information about the location, time, date and if any tag colour was spotted.