Red kite  (Milvus milvus)

The red kite is almost entirely restricted to Europe. In Britain it is present throughout the year, whilst the majority of birds in central Europe move south to spend the winter in Iberia. The history of the British population is well known. Formerly a common and widespread bird, it was extinct in England and Scotland by 1900, and only a remnant population survived in central Wales. Today, the range of the red kite is expanding in the UK. Successful re-introductions have allowed the bird to re-colonise several parts of its former range and numbers are now increasing in several areas of England and Scotland.

Although often associated with woodland, the kite requires open habitats for foraging and birds can be seen drifting over both arable crops and grassland in their quest for food. It is a highly adaptable species and is able to thrive in a wide range of landscape types providing that the basic requirements of open areas for finding food, and woodland for nesting and roosting are met. Productive lowland landscapes support the highest densities of birds but kites are also found in the upland fringes where they forage over moorland and rough pastures.