Red kite - description, habitat, interesting facts

The red kite looks very impressive. In flight, they are especially elegant. In order not to have to spend a lot of effort to maintain height, kites use air currents. They do not fly fast, but they are able to stay in the air for quite some time. They belong to the hawk family.

Appearance

1. The body of the male is about 56-61 cm long. Females are 5% larger. The wingspan is up to 165 cm. The male weighs an average of 850-1250 g, the female is 150-200 g more.
2. The red kite has very long fly feathers. They are located so that the bird can control the flight. The wings are narrow, slightly bent back.
3. These birds have excellent eyesight. They see about 8 times better than people.
4. The beak, like the rest of the predators, is sharp, bent. It allows you to easily carve carrion or a living victim.
5. Claws are not very large, but sharp.
6. The tail is long, has a pronounced notch. During the flight, the kite uses it as a rudder.
7. The female lays about 2-3 eggs. Sometimes they can be 1 or 4. They are painted white, covered with spots.
8. The upper plumage of these birds is brown, the head is lighter. Below the body is covered with brown plumage, but a lighter shade than the upper. In flight, this bird can be distinguished by narrow wings, which are slightly curved back, as well as by a long tail.

Habitat

You can see the red kite almost throughout Europe. Most of them are in France, Spain. To date, the population in southern Europe has declined rapidly.

This species is recognized as one of the most beautiful among all birds of prey. Due to the structure of the wings, he soars beautifully in the air, keeps his balance, using his tail for control. About 50% of the total population lives in Central Europe. This is approximately 5,000 pairs of kites.

Nutrition

Previously, they ate only various mammals, invertebrates, fish. But today they lack this food. Therefore, kites are forced to eat the remnants of food thrown into the landfill by humans. Sometimes birds become their victims. In severe frosts, when it is impossible to get other food, they eat carrion, which they come across. It can be hares or other forest mammals.

Due to their stamina, they can fly at high altitude for several hours, looking for prey. They usually hover 20-30 m from the ground. As soon as the kite sees a suitable victim, it immediately rushes down, clutching it with its claws. However, he may not even land. Grabbing prey, he can immediately fly with it. Their claws are not very developed, but are quite suitable to kill a small animal.

Lifestyle

These birds are kept in pairs. They live about 4-5 years. But there are times when a bird can even live to 26. The black kite is a related species, in some parts of Europe it replaces red.

The size of the species is similar to the size of the buzzard. But its structure is much more elegant. Individuals living in southern Sweden and England are sedentary. And those who live in central Europe are migratory. In the winter, they fly to the south of France and Portugal. To their nesting sites fly away at the very end of winter. In winter, they live in packs. Together they seek food and spend the night together.

Breeding

Their nesting period begins in April. From 1 to 4 eggs are laid, but most often 2-3.Chicks appear in a month. After that, they still need care for 1.5-2 months. Puberty is reached at the age of 3 years.

Mating occurs in the second half of March or in early April. They perform a difficult mating flight. They build nests on trees, most often placing them on the edge of the forest. The mating season begins with the fact that they circle above the tree on which the nest is located. After that, the pair is clawed together and quickly falls down. They spread their wings and tumble in the air. When they approach the crowns of the trees, they begin to rise again. Then all the actions of the pair are repeated again.

The pair equips the nest together. It can reach about 1 m in diameter. They have it as high as possible. Basically, the female is engaged in incubation. The male can replace her only occasionally. Chicks can be different in color. Their shades range from almost white to brown. Parents take care of the chicks for about 50 days, after which they fly away.

Human influence

The habitat of this species occurs only in Europe, as well as the northwestern part of the African continent. This species has suffered many trials. In the 16th and 17th centuries, red kites were simply “garbage collectors”. In the period from the 18th to the 20th century, the species was almost destroyed. These birds were caught to make them stuffed.

Later, red kites completely disappeared from the territory of Scotland. Since the beginning of the 20th century, they have been protected in the UK. In modern Wales, only about 10 pairs remain.

Observations

This bird is most often seen in the open. These are various fields and outskirts of the forest. In Central Europe, they also live among the hills. Use the air currents that occur among the slopes to soar for a long time in the air. They build a nest in forests, most often deciduous, sometimes mixed. This species is less dependent on water than black kite. Birds become very shy during nesting. If during the arrangement of the nest a person passes along the path, you can frighten away the birds. It happens that a frightened pair of birds will fly away from this place forever.

Scientists suggest that today in Germany there are almost 4.5 thousand pairs of birds of this species, in Poland there are about 300, in Switzerland there are only about 200 pairs. And on the territory of Belgium and Holland there are practically no representatives of this species.

Interesting Facts

1. In those days when Shakespeare worked, these birds were just “garbage collectors”. There were a lot of them in cities, including London. This attracted the attention of people who came to the country. Winter's Tale describes how kites removed the clothes that residents dried on clothesline and used it to build a nest.
2. Kites use their ability to maneuver in flight to select prey caught by other birds. They take food from rooks and ravens. Sometimes they can pick up prey food from a hawk or buzzard. If he encounters a bird of prey in the air with prey, he begins to chase it, waiting until it releases it. At this moment, he grabs her and flies away as far as possible.
3. In London, a representative of this species was seen back in 1859. After that, a red kite was not seen in this city.

Protection and security

In Central Europe, the number is not declining. But still the species faces extinction. This is due to the fact that in many habitats the species is replaced by a black kite.