Hawks and eagles
Red Kite
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Milvus milvus
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Voice
Song
Call
Song
How to recognize it
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Body length 60–70 cm
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Long wings held in a V while soaring; long tail with a deep fork
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Rufous-brown body; white flight feathers against black wing tips and dark inner feathers
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First-year juveniles: paler breast and belly, shallower tail fork
About the species
Look up and you may see a Red Kite gliding overhead, its russet body set off by a pale grey head and long wings. White patches in the wings contrast with black tips, and the long, bending tail ends in a deep fork. That notch is deeper than a Black Kite’s, a useful distinction where the two overlap in Europe.
In flight, it holds its wings in a shallow V and twists its tail as it turns. Its call is a thin, high whistle, less mewling than a Common Buzzard’s. It feeds both as a hunter and a scavenger, sometimes waiting at a distance while larger scavengers eat first.
It nests in broadleaf woodland and uses pastures, mixed farmland, valleys and wetland edges, where it takes carrion, small mammals, earthworms and other prey. Many northern European populations move south or west for winter, but an increasing number now stay year-round; in milder parts of western Europe, it is resident.
Where to find
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In UK towns where residents leave meat out in private gardens, a Red Kite may drop down to feed.
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In spring, at the edge of old broadleaf or mixed woodland beside open land, look high into a large tree fork where a pair may build its nest.
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Over pastures and mixed farmland, watch for low soaring followed by a steep dive at small prey.
