It is unusual to see a Red Kite sat on the ground feeding. Sometimes a kite can be a rhombus (four congruent sides), a dart, or even a square (four congruent sides and four congruent interior angles). That means a kite is all of this: A plane figure. As mentioned above, only very small mammals need to be protected from aerial attack. A kite is a quadrilateral shape with two pairs of adjacent (touching), congruent (equal-length) sides. It should be noted that most family pets are not at risk from the Red Kites circling over their properties. However, many youngsters will also see the Red Kites clearing up the discarded snacks and trash in a school playground, after the children have returned to class. The other favourite foods include carrion, mice, voles, shrews, small birds and small reptiles. Earth worms are the favourite food source of the Red Kites, which can often be seen following many a Farmer’s tractor around the British countryside. For a large raptor it has small, weak talons and cannot attack larger mammals that a Common Buzzard might prefer. The Red Kite is a scavenger and will eat almost anything. Some of the images above show the wonderful chest and neck feathers and of course that distinctive tail, unique to the Kite family and so powerful in the aerial acrobatics that can be seen in the skies above. The beautiful plumage of the Red Kite has to be seen to be appreciated. The latest estimate is that England has more than 2000 pairs of Red Kites.Ī medium-large bird of prey, the Red Kite has a wing span of up to 180cm and with its long-forked tail can measure up to 70cm in length. The Red Kite is a magnificent raptor that has made an amazing come-back since it nearly became extinct through human predation and the extensive use of dangerous agricultural pesticides.Ī reintroduction program in England and Scotland in the late 1990s and again in 2004, saw over 200 pairs produce eggs with almost 300 successful juveniles taking flight.

Kite drawing