That’s not a hawk, it’s a red kite. They were reintroduced some (30ish) years ago, I think in l Oxford initially. The reintroduction went very successfully and they are now commonly seen across the UK.
Edit: you can tell it’s a red kite by its distinctive forked tail
That’s a red kite. Once widespread, they were virtually extinct in the UK. Last remnants were in Powys. They have made a startling come back over the last 20/30 years. They are spreading back to their old ranges. 10 years ago, I wouldn’t see any around us in North Wales, now they’re pretty common. Drive down the M40 you’ll see loads. If you get the chance go to Gigrin Farm, Rhayader, for the kite feeding.
That’s not a hawk though it is definitely a bird of prey, namely a red kite. They were nearly extinct in Britain except for a small population in Wales but they’ve been re-introduced by using birds from other European countries where they are more common like Spain or Sweden and there are now several thousand pairs of them in Britain. They’re not found everywhere in the UK but in specific areas like mid-Wales or the Chilterns they’re fairly common. They are generalists and eat a varied diet – small animals, carrion etc – in much the same way as buzzards do – and quite adaptable so it’s not surprising they’re doing well in the absence of persecution.
They are also quite gregarious compared to most other raptors so if you live in a spot where they are common, you are likely to see several together. You are much more likely to see a flock of kites if they are about, being sociable big birds, than you are to see say a sparrowhawk which is smaller and more solitary. This makes them quite visible even though they’re not as common as sparrowhawks or buzzards and I guess that’s what’s inspired you to comment?
Red kites are all over the place now. I remember as a kid you could only see them in certain bits of Wales and that was rare.
They’re ideally suited to modern Britain as they do a lot of scavenging / carrion feeding so plenty of road kill for them and other rubbish. If you’ve got a few circling around they’ll quite happily come into your garden for chicken scraps and so on.
Due to a massive rewilding program over the past 30 years……..Red Kites, Kestrels, Ospreys, Buzzards, Eagles, Sparrowhawks etc. It’s been really successful.
When I was a kid back in the 70’s there were virtually no birds of prey due to DDT. I think there was one pair of peregrine falcons left in England. Now they are are everywhere, its so cool.
Thanks lads/ladies. They’re beautiful birds, seeing them glide around. I once saw like 7 of them swooping down behind a house, so i assume someone is feeding them.
I am worried though if they start attacking local cats/dogs, i don’t want to wake up one day and see my dog mauled to death in my garden.
A mate of mine counted around 70, yes seventy, Red Kites over farmland behind his house in the Yorkshire Dales a few weeks ago. He’s a keen birder & has never seen so many in one group.
& yet some dummies with guns & some dopey gamekeepers still persecute them, thinking they’re a threat to game bird stocks.
It’s all consequence of the NHS’s well-honed trick to keep old people from dropping dead.
If you’re an elderly resident of the UK, chances are you don’t move much, and your health goes in the winter downhill. So, off you go to your GP, who tells you to exercise more. But of course, you won’t—because you’re an old prick and you can’t be arsed.
Instead, the GP will tell you that you’re lonely. All your friends are now dressed in linen six feet under, but nae bother – you’ll be joining them soon anyway! GP then suggests getting a dog to brighten your final days in this valley of tears. Naturally, you swear to God you’re not lonely and that your GP is a fucking cunt and you are not gonna die. But you’ll get a dog just-in-case. Not a big one, of course, because who wants a hulking beast that eats more than you do while you’re eating scraps due to a cost-of-living crisis? So, you get a small dog.
But winter rolls in, the rain never stops, and your knees ache like hell. You don’t walk much, and, surprise! Your dog gets fat. Then comes spring, and your doggo suddenly struggles to breathe. You might be an old prick, but you’re not heartless, so off to the vet you go.
Vet will give both of you one short glance and tell you that the dog is simply fat and needs more exercise. £200, thank you very much.
And where the dogs go, you have to go as well, because you can’t leave him alone. GP is maniacally laughing (BTW, the main reason of such a long waiting times in surgeries), because you are now taking a couple of long walks a day.
But a bird of prey doesn’t care about the story. Only thing they see is a open buffet of clueless fat dogs without any survival instinct whatsoever. And their frail owners, who will never chase them due to their poor health, and who will just get them a new dog every week or two.
tl;dr: It’s like asking why there are seagulls stealing your fries when there were none in winter.
Its Red Kite. They were wiped out in the 1800’s and reintroduced starting in the 1990’s. They’ve done amazingly well and live well off road kill most of the time.
It’s been incredible to see them spread across the country as they have.
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Isn’t that a Red Kite?
Because we have been running breeding programs.
That’s not a hawk, it’s a red kite. They were reintroduced some (30ish) years ago, I think in l Oxford initially. The reintroduction went very successfully and they are now commonly seen across the UK.
Edit: you can tell it’s a red kite by its distinctive forked tail
God bless pigeon breeders for feeding them,especially as they don’t complain about it on every fb post about any help given to the predator birds
Spring
I see Buzzards and Red kites where I live and a Sparrow hawk once.
It’s been a superbly successful reintroduction. I just hope they don’t do it with bears next.
They were also introduced in Leeds (Eccup) many years back and are common here.
Red Kites are perhaps the greatest reintroduction programme of modern times.
Pretty soon, there will be so many of them we will have to start a cull.
Breeding/reintroduction programmes, better countryside conservation, better agricultural management, better legal protection.
That’s a red kite. Once widespread, they were virtually extinct in the UK. Last remnants were in Powys. They have made a startling come back over the last 20/30 years. They are spreading back to their old ranges. 10 years ago, I wouldn’t see any around us in North Wales, now they’re pretty common. Drive down the M40 you’ll see loads. If you get the chance go to Gigrin Farm, Rhayader, for the kite feeding.
That’s not a hawk though it is definitely a bird of prey, namely a red kite. They were nearly extinct in Britain except for a small population in Wales but they’ve been re-introduced by using birds from other European countries where they are more common like Spain or Sweden and there are now several thousand pairs of them in Britain. They’re not found everywhere in the UK but in specific areas like mid-Wales or the Chilterns they’re fairly common. They are generalists and eat a varied diet – small animals, carrion etc – in much the same way as buzzards do – and quite adaptable so it’s not surprising they’re doing well in the absence of persecution.
They are also quite gregarious compared to most other raptors so if you live in a spot where they are common, you are likely to see several together. You are much more likely to see a flock of kites if they are about, being sociable big birds, than you are to see say a sparrowhawk which is smaller and more solitary. This makes them quite visible even though they’re not as common as sparrowhawks or buzzards and I guess that’s what’s inspired you to comment?
Red kites are all over the place now. I remember as a kid you could only see them in certain bits of Wales and that was rare.
They’re ideally suited to modern Britain as they do a lot of scavenging / carrion feeding so plenty of road kill for them and other rubbish. If you’ve got a few circling around they’ll quite happily come into your garden for chicken scraps and so on.
If only we could train them to kill seagulls 😁
Due to a massive rewilding program over the past 30 years……..Red Kites, Kestrels, Ospreys, Buzzards, Eagles, Sparrowhawks etc. It’s been really successful.
I wish they would come to London.
They’re trying to flee their eternal enemies, the beavers
When I was a kid back in the 70’s there were virtually no birds of prey due to DDT. I think there was one pair of peregrine falcons left in England. Now they are are everywhere, its so cool.
bro getting no upvotes just cause he doesnt know what a red kite is – ya’l mean.
Thanks lads/ladies. They’re beautiful birds, seeing them glide around. I once saw like 7 of them swooping down behind a house, so i assume someone is feeding them.
I am worried though if they start attacking local cats/dogs, i don’t want to wake up one day and see my dog mauled to death in my garden.
HAWK TUAH AGAGAGAGA
TIL, we have small eagles in this country.
Literally just saw this on the news
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0zjqjve9zo
A mate of mine counted around 70, yes seventy, Red Kites over farmland behind his house in the Yorkshire Dales a few weeks ago. He’s a keen birder & has never seen so many in one group.
& yet some dummies with guns & some dopey gamekeepers still persecute them, thinking they’re a threat to game bird stocks.
It’s all consequence of the NHS’s well-honed trick to keep old people from dropping dead.
If you’re an elderly resident of the UK, chances are you don’t move much, and your health goes in the winter downhill. So, off you go to your GP, who tells you to exercise more. But of course, you won’t—because you’re an old prick and you can’t be arsed.
Instead, the GP will tell you that you’re lonely. All your friends are now dressed in linen six feet under, but nae bother – you’ll be joining them soon anyway! GP then suggests getting a dog to brighten your final days in this valley of tears. Naturally, you swear to God you’re not lonely and that your GP is a fucking cunt and you are not gonna die. But you’ll get a dog just-in-case. Not a big one, of course, because who wants a hulking beast that eats more than you do while you’re eating scraps due to a cost-of-living crisis? So, you get a small dog.
But winter rolls in, the rain never stops, and your knees ache like hell. You don’t walk much, and, surprise! Your dog gets fat. Then comes spring, and your doggo suddenly struggles to breathe. You might be an old prick, but you’re not heartless, so off to the vet you go.
Vet will give both of you one short glance and tell you that the dog is simply fat and needs more exercise. £200, thank you very much.
And where the dogs go, you have to go as well, because you can’t leave him alone. GP is maniacally laughing (BTW, the main reason of such a long waiting times in surgeries), because you are now taking a couple of long walks a day.
But a bird of prey doesn’t care about the story. Only thing they see is a open buffet of clueless fat dogs without any survival instinct whatsoever. And their frail owners, who will never chase them due to their poor health, and who will just get them a new dog every week or two.
tl;dr: It’s like asking why there are seagulls stealing your fries when there were none in winter.
Its Red Kite. They were wiped out in the 1800’s and reintroduced starting in the 1990’s. They’ve done amazingly well and live well off road kill most of the time.
It’s been incredible to see them spread across the country as they have.
That’s a red kite. I’ve loved that their population is growing because they seem to scare off the seagulls. I bloody hate seagulls
Red Kites. Reintroduced in the 80’s in the Chilterns in believe . They have thrived and spread out over the last few years living off roadkill mostly.
Sadly red kites are too successful in my area. They completely pushed out the magpie and crow population, as these 3 all have a similar niche.
https://preview.redd.it/lcfiz8ycgose1.jpeg?width=4979&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8789b6661c21f1799911d524aa35bee9bd45ecea
I also took a picture of a red kite the other day, there’s loads near me.I think they were re-introduced recently.