As kites roost high up in trees and have few predators the protection afforded by a communal roost is of lesser importance. Kites in a roost can see each other and those that have fed well are probably easily recognisable by their bulging crops.
A kite that has not had much success in feeding could follow a well-fed kite the next morning when that kite may return to a carcass it had previously located. While this theory seems to have merit, when it was investigated by radio tracking kites leaving a roost, there was little evidence that this actually took place. In Spain, where this was investigated, it was found that carcasses the kites found generally only lasted a day and hence following a well-fed bird from a roost was unlikely to lead to a food source.
The theory behind this is that by leaving the roost in a group if one individual finds a food source the other kites in the group can quickly converge on it. Often a food source, particularly a carcass will provide sufficient food for a number of kites. When foraging in a group if any individual finds food the group may share it, therefore the chance of any individual feeding are increased. This theory seems to fit in with the observed pattern of groups of birds leaving the roost together in the early morning.
There are presumably other benefits to communal roosting. Selection of a mate may take place during the winter at these gatherings. For a long lived species, like the red kite, finding a mate is important and these large gatherings of birds may provide the perfect opportunity to choose a suitable partner. While the activities associated with roosting are presumably beneficial to individual kites, it is believed that the highly social nature of the kite, especially younger kites, limits the spread of the species.
In common with many birds of prey, kites exhibit a high degree of natal philopatry, that is a desire to breed in the area they were hatched. This coupled with the highly social nature of the species means that red kites have poor powers of natural recolonisation. In Britain, where the red kite survived in Wales, up to there had been no record of Welsh kites breeding outside Wales.
The Irish reintroduction programme based in Wicklow will be complemented next year by a red kite reintroduction programme in Northern Ireland.
Whatever the reason for the communal roosting behaviour of the red kite it is an integral part of the species ecology. Observing a kite roost offers the best opportunity to fully appreciate the social nature of this species.
A pre-roosting flock of kites engaged in their play activities in the depths of winter is truly a wondrous natural spectacle. Home News. Tuesday, 01 May Key Irish raptors enjoy fair winds during the breeding season. Friday, 22 January Wandering Star winters in the Midlands. Sunday, 13 September Cealtra explores Lough Derg. Wednesday, 05 August White-tailed Sea Eagle chicks take to the wing! Fun factoids for all the family Find out more about the nature and wildlife outside your window. Red kite nesting and breeding habits.
Adult red kites are sedentary birds, and they occupy their breeding home range throughout the year. Nesting Each nesting territory can contain up to five alternative nest sites. Breeding timeline The female lays a clutch of occasionally 4 eggs at 3-day intervals in April. Share this page Facebook Facebook Created with Sketch.
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Illegal poisoning remains a threat to carrion eating birds like kites, even though the bait may have been laid to kill foxes and crows. In , there were 12 confirmed cases of kites being poisoned in Scotland. Historically, the kite was associated with towns and cities; here it was valued as a scavenger, helping keep streets clean. Shakespeare makes several references to kites, such as Autolycus in The Winters Tale, warning that when the kite builds, look to lesser linen.
This is a reference to the thieving habits of nest-building kites. Kites hunt on the wing, soaring and circling over open ground. They are mainly carrion eaters, but are quite capable of killing small mammals and birds. Road-casualty pheasants, rabbits and squirrels form an important part of the diet of the reintroduced kites in England. However, considering their size they are not very powerful, though they have been recorded robbing much bigger raptors, such as white-tailed eagles, of their prey.
In the Chilterns, the kites' enthusiasm for carrion is valued by deer stalkers, who leave the entrails from shot deer for the kites to clean up.
Kites are surprisingly lightweight. In the spring, adults weigh around gm, which is considerably less than a mallard. Though Britain's kite population is booming, this is not the case in many other European countries, where numbers are generally in sharp decline.
It is thought that Britain's kite population could eventually reach around 50, pairs, which is more than double the current world population. Old English names for the kite range from puttock to gled and glead; a number of place names, such as Gleadthorpe in Northamptonshire and Gledehill in Yorkshire, are reminders of these names. For international shoppers Ordering from outside the UK. Living with Birds Who are we? Sorry, you must enable Javascript or use a different browser to use this web site.
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