Breeding status of the Red Kite Milvus milvus in Britain in 2000

Abstract

Capsule The first co-ordinated Red Kite survey across Britain since the reintroduction programme began in 1989, yields 430 breeding pairs. Aims To estimate the current size and extent of the British breeding population. Methods A complete census of the populations in the East Midlands, Yorkshire, central and north Scotland was undertaken, while in Wales and the Chilterns, populations were surveyed using a stratified sample of tetrads. Breeding and territorial pairs were identified. Results The survey indicated that there were 430 breeding pairs in Britain (95% CIs, 372–490). There were 259 breeding pairs in Wales (95% CIs, 200–318) and 109 (95% CIs, 96–124) in the Chilterns. Elsewhere, 16 breeding pairs were located in the East Midlands, three in Yorkshire, seven in central Scotland and 33 in north Scotland. An additional three pairs were recorded in southern England, away from the main population centres. Conclusion The 2000 survey provides a baseline against which to measure future changes in Red Kite populations in Britain, using standard, repeatable methods.