Red Kite

The first thing you notice about a red kite in flight is its distinctive forked tail. The red kite moves its forked tail to steer itself as it flies through the air. It also makes a high-pitched call that sounds similar to whistling, “weooo, weooo.” The carnivorous diet of a red kite includes small mammals and insects, but it usually eats carrion left behind on the road. It lives in Europe, Asia, and a small part of northern Africa. The wingspan of this bird is 59 to 70 inches.

3 Red Kite Amazing Facts

• Eggs in a single clutch hatch one to two days apart.
• Long ago, these birds were considered pests and (mistakenly) blamed for killing small farm animals.
• The oldest red kite reached 28 years old.

Where to Find a Red Kite

Red kites are found in Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. They live in a temperate climate in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, wetlands, forests, and shrublands.

The best time to see these birds soaring in the sky is in the spring, specifically in the month of March. They are preparing their nests for the breeding season.

Nests

Sometimes red kites use nests abandoned by buzzards and other types of birds. But if they build one, both the male and female will work together.

Its nest is usually found in a tree fork located around 40 to 50 feet up in a tree. Along with large sticks, a red kite’s nest is constructed with odds and ends. This can be anything from scraps of clothing to torn paper to pieces of wool. Anything to make their baby birds feel comfortable!

Classification and Scientific Name

Milvus milvus is the red kite’s scientific name. The Latin word milvus translates to bird. In Sweden, this bird is called Glada, which is the Swedish word for kite.

It belongs to the Accipitridae family and the class Aves.

Red kites belong to the genus Milvus, making them the closest relatives of the other two member species of the group: black kites found in Eurasia, Australia, and Oceania, and yellow-billed kites found in Africa.

As part of the Milvinae subfamily, they are related to members of seven other genera, including Mississippi kites, snail kites, slender-billed kites, and square-billed kites.

These kites all belong to the Accipitridae, making them the cousins of eagles, hawks, harriers, and vultures. Members of this family date back 50 million years, during the Eocene. Robust fossil evidence exists dating from the late Eocene, about 35 million years ago, with fossils having been discovered in America, Australia, China, England, France, and Italy.

The red kite is generally considered monotypic (Milvus milvus), with the Cape Verde kite (formerly Milvus milvus fasciicauda) now considered extinct and not universally recognized as a valid subspecies.

Size, Appearance, and Behavior

Red kites have reddish-brown feathers on their back and breast, along with a grayish-white head. Looking up at a flying red kite, you’ll see a large section of white feathers on the undersides of its reddish-brown wings. The underside of its forked tail is also covered in white feathers. This bird has bright yellow legs along with a hooked beak of the same color.

The forked tail of the red kite is not only interesting but also serves a practical purpose. The bird uses it to turn easily and swiftly in the air. This bird can dive, circle, and soar with ease. The wings of a red kite are notable as well. Study them closely, and you’ll see they are angled at the tips. In fact, the tips of their wings have been compared to human fingertips.

This bird is 24 to 26 inches long and weighs two to two and a half pounds. Its wingspan is 69 to 77 inches.

Migration Pattern and Timing

Not all red kites migrate. Red kites that live in northern regions migrate south to warmer weather for the winter. For instance, red kites that breed in Germany in the springtime migrate south to France or Spain for the winter.

Diet

The red kite is a carnivorous bird. But it doesn’t always hunt its prey.

What does a red kite eat?

The red kite has a diet that includes fish, small mammals, and insects. It also eats carrion it finds on the road. Red kites have superb eyesight and agility. Consequently, they can dive and scoop their prey off the ground fairly easily.

Predators and Threats

What eats a red kite?

Snakes, cats, and larger birds are predators of the red kite. However, these animals usually go after the eggs or the young of this bird.

Humans are also predators of these birds, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally. For example, some farmers and others with large pieces of property put out poison to kill mice and rats. A red kite that eats one of those dead rodents also dies from the poison.

Some people are still under the mistaken impression that red kites kill chickens, lambs, and other small farm animals. So, they put poison out to kill any red kites in the area. Fortunately, people are becoming more educated about this bird.

Red kites are killed when they fly into power lines, and some are hit and killed by cars when eating carrion in the road.

Despite all of these challenges, its population is increasing and is described as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

Spring is the breeding season of red kites. Female red kites lay one to four eggs in the middle part of April. This bird’s eggs are cream with spots of light brown. The incubation period of its eggs is 31 to 32 days. Keep in mind that the eggs hatch one or two days apart. So, one baby may be as many as two days older than another chick in the nest!

The chicks leave the nest at the age of 48 to 50 days old. But each baby usually stays around the nesting area for two or three more weeks. The parents of the chicks help to feed their young and continue to care for them during this time.

Young red kites are sexually mature at two to three years old. The total lifespan of this feathered creature can reach up to 25 years, though most live 10 to 15 years in the wild.

Population

This bird’s population of 60,000 to 70,000 is described as increasing. Its conservation status is of Least Concern.