Flying the Red kite

Some people have odd attitudes to 'birds of prey' (raptors). The recovery of the Red kite (Milvus milvus) in England and Wales, is a conservation success story. The bird was almost driven to extinction by gamekeepers who illogically feared for their gamebirds. I heard, however, a snippet on BBC radio today from a Daily Telegraph editor who was worried about his pet cat. Red kites fly over his garden. He seemed to think that the conservation of this 'dangerous predator' had gone too far. The Red kite is, however, a scavenger of dead meat, rather than a killer of prey. The bird has a big wingspan but is only about 1kg in weight. A Red kite could never get most moggies off the ground, even if the bird was tempted to do so. The picture above, shows a Red kite being seen off by a crow. The crow probably also fancied a particular bit of road-kill. Red kites are essentially attractive vultures. They do a valuable cleaning and recycling job. I wish they flew over my garden.