Red Kite

Habitat: In wild, preferably moist areas of cultivated land. Rarer in low mountain ranges and absent in higher mountain regions.

Appearance: Resident bird in the west and summer visitor in the east. In Belgium and the Netherlands, an extremely rare breeding bird – year-round resident – migrant in very small numbers – winter visitor in very small numbers.

Breeding season: May to August, nests in trees, usually taken over from crows and buzzards, lined with old rags, paper and plastic, sometimes stealing scarecrows or laundry from the line, 2 to 4 eggs.

Characteristics: Length 61 – 72 cm, wingspan 145 – 185 cm, weight 950 – 1300 grams, age 29 years.

Food: Weak vertebrates, such as frogs and reptiles, but also carrion and waste from rubbish dumps. They eat the carcasses of animals that have been killed in traffic or by mowers. They pick dead fish and other edible items from the water surface while flying.