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Welsh Kite Trust
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Yorkshire - Red Kites
Doug Simpson, Yorkshire Red Kite Project Officer
The Yorkshire Red Kite Project has, at last, completed its release programme. The original release target was 80 birds over the period 1999 to 2001.
Whilst all went to plan in the first year, 21 birds having been released and another enlisting as an untagged volunteer, a shortage of chicks in The Chilterns in 2000 (due to bad weather) and FMD restrictions in 2001 meant that we had only released 40 by the end of the target period.
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The programme was extended, initially with the intention of releasing another 40. Eighteen more were released in 2002. In the light of exceptional early breeding, resulting in the presence of considerable numbers of birds in the release area, it was decided to reduce the final number to be released in 2003 to just 11. The early breeding had occurred despite a significant imbalance in the sex ratios of the released birds, weighted heavily in favour of males.
We were very fortunate that a rehabilitated bird released in the late-summer of 1999 and the untagged arrival in December of ths same year significantly boosted the number of females in the population. These two 'bonus' birds have played significant roles in the establishment of a sizeable nucleus of kites in Yorkshire.
Coincidentally, we have both released 69 birds and seen the same number raised in the wild since the Project began, 16 pairs having raised 32 young in 2003. The breeding figures are quite remarkable in the sense that these 69 birds have been raised through the releases of 40 birds in 1999 and 2000 (not forgetting the volunteer) and their progeny, a total which was reduced by 15 birds known either to be dead or had disappeared and not entered the breeding population.
Several birds bred successfully in their first year in 2001, a feature which is not known to have been repeated in subsequent years and which boosted the potential breeding population for years to come.
The current Yorkshire population is estimated at around 100 birds. It is difficult to be more precise, particularly in the light of the fact that many of the 2002 releases and their wild-bred counterparts are currently unaccounted for. The released birds all carry transmitters and only 8 of them are known to be still in Yorkshire.
Two birds are in Wiltshire and Buckinghamshire, respectively. Another is believed to be in Cornwall, whilst yet another (Orange/Black 17) has recently been seen at Gigrin Farm.
Wild bred birds from 2002 have been similarly adventurous, two birds from the same Yorkshire nest being known to be, respectively, in the Midlands and around Gigrin (Orange/Black P).
It certainly appears that Yorkshire is currently in the kite export business! Perhaps the wanderers will return.
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We are particularly encouraged that some of the kites released in the early years of the Project have settled in suitable habitat away from the release area.
We now have two pairs breeding some 40 miles or so distant in the Yorkshire Wolds, as well as two more pairs somewhat closer to hand. The Yorkshire Wolds has substantial areas of potentially suitable habitat that could accommodate many pairs of kites.
The fact that the birds have already discovered it is reassuring and removes any concerns which might have existed that the Yorkshire population might be totally dependent on habitat around the release area.
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