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Originally Posted by Imaginos And Sweden I think, or was that Capercaillies?
The thinking at the time was that the population in Wales was in too perilous a state to start removing birds for relocation programmes and so Kites from abroad were used. I'm not sure, but I don't think that there were any issues with subspecies with Red Kite (unlike the aforementioned Capercaillie). |
Just over 90 kites were brought over from Spain to here in the Chilterns between 1989 and 1994.
Many of the Chilterns chicks have been taken elsewhere as part of other reintroduction programmes; the latest being the North East.
Reintroduction programmes have to fulful certain criteria set out by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) before being approved:
Historical evidence of former natural occurrence
Suitable habitat
Suitable source of birds
We now have over 300 breeding pairs in the Chilterns, and even though tagging still continues, it is becoming less so over time, because of the sheer numbers and the complete success of the programme, the kites are self sustaining, and now spreading over a wide area.
Regarding tagging, the tags fall off naturally after a period of 3-4 years. They do, however, provide valuable information on kite behaviour (dispersal, etc) during the first few years of their life.
The birds are also ringed as well as tagged. The tags tell us which area and nest the bird is from.