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Thursday, 8 August 2019

Red Kite born and bred in the Peak District

I've speculated previously that the return of the Red Kite as a breeding bird in the Peak District has only been a question of when not if, and I can finally confirm that a pair has successfully fledged at least two young this summer. The photos below were taken today which is the first time I've seen them in the air.
It was probably around 1860 that the Red Kite finally became extinct as a breeding bird in the Peak District but since the late 1990's and the successful reintroduction programmes in England and Scotland the number recorded annually in Derbyshire has increased dramatically and birdwatchers have long speculated about its return as a breeding species in Derbyshire which, as previously reported, finally occurred last year at Kedleston Hall. 
I suspect, and hope that we will now see an upsurge in number locally with more pairs breeding in the future. 
Red Kite juvenile
Red Kite juveniles
Red Kite adult
Compared to the adult Red Kite the juvenile looks slightly shorter in both the wings and tail. All the feathers are the same age in the juvenile and have a very fresh appearance. Compare with the adult (above) which is moulting several inner primaries and central tail feathers giving it a rather tatty appearance.

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