A magnificent bird of prey with a distinctive forked tail, russet plumage and a five to five and a half foot wingspan.  Often heard emitting a distinct whistle in flight.
Once common across Great Britain, red kites suffered severe persecution between the 16th and 17th  centuries. They were mistaken as a threat to livestock and game birds but in fact they feed mainly on dead animals (carrion), insects, earthworms, young birds such as crows and small mammals.
By the end of the 19th century just a small handful remained in Wales..
Between 1989 and 1994 the RSPB together with English Nature introduced a programme to re-introduce them to the Chilterns. There are now some 200 breeding pairs and they are once more a common feature of the area.



See leaflet- Red Kites  Chiltern Conservation Board