Typical Red Kite Nest

Red Kites usually lay 2-3 eggs. They nest in trees, sometimes building on top of old crows' nests or squirrel dreys. Nests are often untidy structures, kites having a habit of decorating them with a wide variety of materials. The first successful Yorkshire nest in 2000 had a teddy-bear's head and a tea-towel in it. A nest which was visited in 2006 had a St George's flag in it, this being discovered less than an hour before the kick-off in the World Cup match between England and Paraguay! A downside to this collecting habit is the amount of plastic and polythene which they incorporate into the nest, this sometimes forming an impervious layer which can result in waterlogging and the loss of eggs or young.

When breeding has been completed, much can be learned by licensed observers about what the kites have been feeding their young, by examining the contents of debris beneath nests. Whilst carrying out one of these searches on an estate in East Yorkshire, the above item was found. It was shown to the estate owner, who recognised it as being from a funeral service, held in the local church earlier in the year. Needless to say, these kites are now known as our 'religious pair'!

The Yorkshire project is unique, having had successful breeding in its first year. The female of the pair was an older, rehabilitated, bird released in September 1999. Despite problems along the way – including a significant imbalance of sexes amongst the released birds (roughly twice as many males as females); losses of birds due to poisoning; protracted release period through shortfall of young birds and the loss of a year through Foot and Mouth Disease – this exceptional early breeding trend continued.

Although the nucleus of the breeding pairs is close to the release area, recent years have seen encouraging signs of an increasing geographical spread. A totally unexpected development has been the breakaway population which has formed in the southern section of the Yorkshire Wolds. Two birds from the initial 1999 release became the first breeding pair in that area for 150 years, since when, numbers have been boosted by young which they raised, further birds moving in from Harewood and arrivals from release areas in North East England and the East Midlands.

Details of the annual breeding figures since 2000 and of the sub-county breakdown in the latest year for which figures are held, are shown in Table 1, Yorkshire Breeding 2000 to 2013 and Table 2, Breeding Breakdown 2013, below.

 

TABLE 1: RED KITE BREEDING FIGURES FROM 2000

YEAR	TERRITORIAL PAIRS	BREEDING PAIRS	SUCCESSFUL PAIRS	YOUNG RAISED	YOUNG PER SUCCESSFUL PAIR
2000	4	3	1	2	2.00
2001	8	8	8	15	1.88
2002	10	10	9	20	2.22
2003	19	19	15	32	2.13
2004	27	24	19	44	2.32
2005	40	33	28	52	1.86
2006	45	40	36	75	2.08
2007	47	47	38	79	2.08
2008	69	67	58	115	1.98
2009	77	67	65	117	1.80
2010	84	77	70	147	2.10
2011	82	74	58	119	2.05
2012	100	95	80	149	1.86
2013	100	89	75	144	1.92

NOTE: The figures shown relate to pairs actually found. There are undoubtedly an increasing number of pairs that are not located.

 

TABLE 2: SUB-COUNTY BREAKDOWN OF BREEDING FIGURES IN 2013

SUB- COUNTY	TERRITORIAL PAIRS	BREEDING PAIRS	SUCCESSFUL PAIRS	YOUNG RAISED	YOUNG PER SUCCESSFUL PAIR (AVERAGE)
West Yorkshire	53	49	42	76	1.81
North Yorkshire	35	29	22	46	2.09
East Yorkshire	12	11	11	22	2.00
Totals	100	89	75	144	1.92