# Red Kite — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Milvus milvus*

> A red kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large European bird of prey with rufous-brown plumage, long angled wings and a distinctive deeply forked tail. Mainly a scavenger feeding on carrion, it is famous in Britain for its dramatic recovery from near-extinction through legal protection and reintroduction.

**IUCN status:** Least Concern (IUCN, 2020); formerly Near Threatened  ·  **WARN range:** Europe, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Common name | Red kite |
| Scientific name | Milvus milvus |
| Type | Bird of prey (raptor) |
| Diet | Mainly carrion; also small mammals, birds, earthworms |
| Wingspan | About 175-195 cm (up to ~1.8 m) |
| Length | 60-70 cm |
| Weight | Roughly 0.8-1.3 kg |
| Distribution | Almost entirely Europe |
| IUCN status | Least Concern (formerly Near Threatened) |
| CITES | Appendix II |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Accipitriformes
- **Family:** Accipitridae
- **Genus:** Milvus
- **Species:** Milvus milvus

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The species was previously listed as Near Threatened but was downgraded following population recovery across much of its European range, aided by legal protection and reintroduction programmes. It remains sensitive to poisoning and persecution.
- **Population:** Approximately 60,000-70,000 mature individuals worldwide (around 32,000-38,000 breeding pairs), almost all in Europe.
- **Trend:** Increasing overall
- **Assessed:** 2020
- **CITES:** Appendix II
- Despite its overall recovery, the red kite remains vulnerable to illegal poisoning, secondary poisoning from rodenticides, persecution and collisions, so continued legal protection is important.

## Key facts: Red Kite
- The red kite is unmistakable in flight, with a long, deeply forked tail it twists like a rudder to steer.
- It is primarily a scavenger, feeding heavily on carrion as well as small mammals, birds and earthworms.
- Almost the entire world population breeds in Europe, with strongholds in Germany, Spain and France.
- By the late 1800s the species was nearly wiped out in Britain, surviving only in remote mid-Wales.
- Legal protection and reintroductions from 1989 onward restored red kites across much of the UK.
- The IUCN now lists the red kite as Least Concern, having previously rated it Near Threatened.

## What does a red kite look like?
The red kite is a striking raptor built for effortless soaring. Adults measure roughly 60-70 cm from bill to tail, with a wingspan of about 175-195 cm, yet weigh only around 0.8-1.3 kg, females being slightly heavier than males. Their plumage is a rich, warm rufous-brown, streaked with darker markings, while the head is paler, often appearing greyish-white. The most diagnostic feature is the long, deeply forked tail, which is reddish above and constantly flexed and twisted in flight to steer. In the air the long, angled wings show a complex pattern: large pale patches near the wingtips contrast with dark 'fingers' and darker secondaries. The eye is amber-yellow and the bill is yellow at the base with a dark, hooked tip. Red kites are far more buoyant and manoeuvrable than buzzards, rocking and tilting as they glide low over open ground. Juveniles are similar but duller, with paler feather edges and a less deeply forked tail. A very small proportion of birds show leucistic, pale or whitish feathering, a rare natural variation.

## What do red kites eat and how do they hunt?
Red kites are opportunistic feeders and, above all, scavengers. Carrion forms a large part of their diet, including dead sheep, deer, rabbits and other animals, as well as roadkill, which is one reason they are often seen patrolling motorway verges and field edges. They also take live prey within their power: small mammals such as voles, mice and young rabbits, small or injured birds, amphibians, and large numbers of earthworms, which they gather from freshly turned soil. Unlike fast, powerful hunters such as peregrines, the red kite relies on patient, low, quartering flight, dropping onto food it spots from above rather than pursuing agile prey. This scavenging lifestyle made the species historically valued in medieval towns, where kites helped clear streets of refuse and carrion. The same habits, however, leave red kites highly vulnerable to poisoning, whether from illegal baits laid for predators, secondary poisoning from rodenticides, or contaminated carcasses. In some areas supplementary feeding at dedicated sites now provides reliable food and a chance to see the birds gathering in spectacular numbers.

## Why did red kites nearly disappear, and how did they recover?
For centuries red kites were common and even protected as urban scavengers, but attitudes changed sharply. From the sixteenth century onward they were treated as vermin, persecuted alongside other birds of prey, while egg collecting, habitat loss and later poisoning drove steep declines. By the late nineteenth century the red kite had been wiped out across most of Britain, clinging on only in the remote wooded valleys of mid-Wales, where at one point just a handful of pairs survived. This tiny Welsh population became one of the longest-running protection efforts in the world. The major turnaround came with reintroduction: from 1989 birds from continental Europe and Wales were released at sites in England and Scotland, supported by strong legal protection against killing and poisoning. The reintroduced birds thrived, spreading widely and breeding successfully, so that red kites are now a familiar sight over the Chilterns and many other regions. Globally the species' recovery, helped by protection across Europe, led the IUCN to downgrade its status from Near Threatened to Least Concern.

## Red kite vs common buzzard
| Feature | Red kite | Common buzzard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tail | Long and deeply forked, constantly twisted | Short and fan-shaped |
| Wings | Long, narrow and angled | Broad and rounded |
| Body colour | Warm rufous-brown, paler head | Variable brown, often paler below |
| Flight style | Buoyant, rocking, agile glides | Steady soaring in circles |
| Main diet | Carrion plus small prey | Small mammals, birds, carrion |

## What WARN does
WARN does not run field projects specifically for red kites, which live almost entirely in Europe, outside the five countries where our partners work. This guide is part of our free educational mission to help people understand and value wildlife. The threats behind the red kite's historic decline, persecution, poisoning and habitat loss, are the same pressures that endanger raptors and scavengers in the regions WARN does protect, where vultures and other birds of prey face poisoning and shrinking habitat.

If the red kite's comeback inspires you, your support helps us keep producing free wildlife education and protect at-risk animals in the countries where we work.

## Frequently asked questions: Red Kite
### Are red kites birds of prey?
Yes. The red kite is a true bird of prey (a raptor) in the hawk and eagle family, Accipitridae. Like other raptors it has keen eyesight, a hooked bill and sharp talons. However, it is mainly a scavenger rather than an active hunter, feeding heavily on carrion as well as small mammals, birds and earthworms.

### Are red kites dangerous to humans or pets?
No. Red kites pose virtually no threat to people. They are primarily scavengers and take relatively small live prey such as voles, mice and earthworms. They are far too small and lightly built to harm a person, and healthy adult cats or dogs are not prey. Problems usually arise only where people feed kites by hand, encouraging them to approach gardens.

### What is the difference between a red kite and a buzzard?
Both are common raptors but look quite different in flight. The red kite is slimmer, with longer, more angled wings, a rufous body and an unmistakable long, deeply forked tail it constantly twists. The common buzzard is bulkier, with broader, rounder wings and a short, fan-shaped tail. Buzzards soar in steady circles, while kites glide and rock with greater agility.

### Where do red kites live?
Red kites are found almost entirely in Europe, where nearly the whole world population breeds. Strongholds include Germany, Spain, France and, increasingly, the United Kingdom. They favour a mix of open countryside for feeding and mature woodland or scattered trees for nesting. Following reintroductions, they are now widespread across parts of England, Wales and Scotland.

### How big is a red kite?
A red kite is a medium-large raptor. It measures roughly 60-70 cm from bill to tail and has a wingspan of about 175-195 cm, close to 1.8 metres. Despite this large wing area, it is lightly built, weighing only around 0.8-1.3 kg. Females are usually slightly larger and heavier than males, as in many birds of prey.

### Why are red kites a conservation success story?
Red kites were nearly wiped out in Britain by the late 1800s, surviving only in remote mid-Wales. Through long-term legal protection and reintroduction programmes begun in 1989, the birds were successfully re-established across much of the UK. Recovery across Europe led the IUCN to move the species from Near Threatened to Least Concern, making it a celebrated example of effective conservation.

## Sources
- [Red kite - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_kite)
- [IUCN Red List - Milvus milvus](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22695072/154457585)
- [CITES Appendices](https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica - kite (bird)](https://www.britannica.com/animal/kite-bird)
- [BirdLife DataZone - Red Kite factsheet](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/red-kite-milvus-milvus)
- [Animal Diversity Web - Milvus milvus](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Milvus_milvus/)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/red-kite