Hi there
On a serious note. If Red Kites did start to come into the cities in numbers, would they be considered a pest by the general public especially if they started to become aggressive? It may be a long way off but I would not like their success story to work against them. Do we really want them back in the cities? It's just a thought.
Regards
Stephen
Let not your heart be troubled
Who Gave us the right to build in their territory? Just a thought......
They do not need our permission to come into our towns/cities the lans is theirs as much as ours
Why would they become aggressive?
they are scavengers and opportunists, ariel pirates :) they are not about to fly off with your child/dog/cat/grandma
It's both what you do and the way that you do it!
You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren. William Henry Hudson (1841 - 1922)
Alison C said: On a serious note. If Red Kites did start to come into the cities in numbers, would they be considered a pest by the general public especially if they started to become aggressive? It may be a long way off but I would not like their success story to work against them. Do we really want them back in the cities? It's just a thought. Regards Stephen
We don't have a choice, if they move into cities there is little we can do to stop them as that is nature, animals and plants don't stay where they are "supposed" to stay they move into different places and new areas. Red kites may end up considered a pest, however there are ways around creating any "pests" in urban areas simply by keeping the streets as clean and avoiding having waste food left on the streets. While it it to be expected some food will be hovered up by the animals living in cities, how many of those they are depends on how much waste there is so reducing waste that is accessible to the kites (which I'd assume would be a lot easier than preventing access to rats and foxes) will reduce any problems. Red kites are visual animals, so they won't be sniffing out food like rats and foxes can so as long as there is nothing visible then that should reduce the problem. So there is no real reason red kites SHOULD become a problem in cities, however some people are fithy beasts that leave rubbish everywhere they go dropping food on the pavement and just chucking things on the floor rather than usingn a bin, and it is these dirty pests that need dealing with as they are the ultimate problem. Though things could be different if large numbers of people started feeding the kites.
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
Sorry, I didn't mean to put a negative spin on the Red Kites success and I agree they have as much (if not more) right to be in the cities as ourselves. I am just concerned that there must be a reason why they are coming into city centres and rubbish seems to be it. My concern is for the Kites. That's why I asked the question if we really wanted to see them in the city. It might be good for us Bird lovers, but is it good for them.