RED KITES at Bwlch nant yr Arian

Red Kites are distinctive because of their forked tail and striking colour - predominantly chestnut red with white patches under the wings and a pale grey head.

They have a wingspan of nearly two metres (about five-and-a-half-feet), but a relatively small body weight of 2 - 3 Ibs.
This means the bird is incredibly agile, and can stay in the air for many hours with hardly a beat of its wings.

The birds are fed daily at 3pm, we wondered how they would know when to appear but it soon became obvious with a few 'lookouts' circling overhead. A member of the staff told us there would be about 50 birds at this time of year whereas in winter this would triple! The 'feed' is donated by a local butcher, consisting of unsaleable offcuts!

Returning from the edge of extinction
Persecution meant that the bird was exterminated in England, Scotland and most of Wales by the end of the last century. The 16th Century saw a series of Vermin Acts, requiring 'vermin' including the Red Kite to be killed throughout the parishes of Wales and England -the bird was perceived as a threat to expanding agriculture.

By the late 18th Century, Red Kites had bred for the last time in England; the story in Scotland was similar.

Only in rural Mid Wales did Red Kites hang on, their numbers down to just a few pairs. At that point a few local landowners had the foresight to set up an unofficial protection programme to try to safeguard this beautiful bird. Over a period of around 100 years, efforts to maintain a fragile breeding population were made by committed generations of landowners, rural communities, dedicated individuals and organisations.
Thanks to the dedication of individuals and organisatons, and despite severe threats from egg collectors, poisoning and some modern farming practices, Red Kite numbers are now gradually increasing.