Wildlife

Red Kite: Recovery Story and Ongoing Poisoning Threat

Red kites have been successfully reintroduced to England and Scotland but illegal poisoning remains a serious threat.

Key Facts

Red kites were reintroduced to England from Wales and Spain starting in 1989
UK red kite population has grown from under 100 to over 4,600 breeding pairs
They are now one of the most commonly seen large raptors in parts of England
Illegal poisoning using carbofuran and alphachloralose remains the leading cause of unnatural death
Red kites are carrion feeders and vulnerable to poisoned baits set for other species

Welfare Considerations

Red kites that consume poisoned bait suffer severe neurological symptoms from carbofuran or hypothermia from alphachloralose before death. Secondary poisoning from eating anticoagulant-exposed rodents causes internal bleeding and a prolonged death. Injured birds that survive initial poisoning face organ damage and reduced survival. Each poisoning incident not only harms individual birds but reduces reproductive success of pairs whose mates die.

What You Can Do

Report suspected poisoning incidents to RSPB Investigation team or police wildlife officers
Support the RSPB Poisoned Raptors campaign for stronger enforcement
Advocate for mandatory licensing and stricter regulation of agricultural pesticides
Ensure any carcasses found near red kite territories are reported and sent for post-mortem
Never use illegal poisons which cause cruel and unnecessary suffering to raptors