Red Kite conservation is a success.
So often today we hear about species becoming endangered, critically endangered or extinct, which makes it good when we hear about species doing well.
Such as the Red Kite.
The Red Kite had been persecuted for hundreds of years on the British Isles. For example, the former King of Scotland - King James II of Scotland, wanted the birds to be killed whenever they could be killed. This persecution of Red Kites within Scotland lasted beyond King James II reign. The persecution of these birds eventually led to the extinction of Red Kites in Scotland by 1879.
They became extinct in England a few years that; they became extinct in England by 1871. In England, Red Kites were actually protected in England throughout the Medieval Era and up to the Tudor Era. In the Medieval Era, the Red Kites were protected by royal decree and were common in medieval towns and cities. But, by the time the Tudor Era came, these birds were persecuted, which lasted longer than the Tudor Era, until the Red Kite became extinct in 1871.
It was only in the late 20th century that Red Kites (from Spain) were reintroduced into England; they began to be reintroduced into England by 1989.
Since then, the conservation and the reintroduction of Red Kites over the last 30 years has been a success in England. They are now doing well across the UK and have made a magnificent recovery over the past 30 years, which shows that there is hope for other species.
When the reintroduction of Red Kites began, there were only 13 Red Kites introduced in the UK. Today, the number of Red Kites has increased significantly since then.
These birds have made a remarkable recovery in the UK, as there are now 1,800 breeding pairs of Red Kites and 10,000 Red Kites in total in the UK today.
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