A British red kite emerges from an aviary in the remote hills of western Spain and takes flight. At six months old, this is its first taste of freedom. Without a sound, it soars high in the sky above scrubland and within seconds disappears from view into a wooded valley in the distance.
This is the latest release in a conservation success story that has come full circle. Nearly four decades ago, the birds were extinct in England and Scotland, with just a few pairs remaining in Wales.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, red kite chicks from Spain and Sweden were released in the Chilterns on the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire border, leading to a thriving UK population of over 6,000 mating pairs, representing about 15% of the world's red kite population.
Dr. Ian Evans from Natural England, a pioneer in these conservation efforts, reflects on the journey, recalling initial concerns about the survival of the first released chicks. In 1991, we had our first breeding pairs, which was really an eye-opener, showing that the project could be successful, he said.
Today, red kite chicks bred in the UK are being relocated to southwest Spain in a project aimed at reviving the population, which has dwindled to less than 50 mating pairs due to threats like the eagle owl and factors such as illegal poisoning. Since 2022, Natural England has licensed the translocation of these chicks, with more than 120 having been relocated so far.
The chicks are transported to a wildlife hospital where they are monitored, fitted with GPS backpacks for tracking, and acclimatized in holding aviaries before their release into the wild. Conservationists have already seen the establishment of three mating pairs in Spain, suggesting hope for a growing population.
Despite the challenges faced, including predation and environmental threats, conservationists remain optimistic that these efforts will restore the red kite's presence in southern Spain, which once thrived there decades ago.
