Michele Mendi

An endemic, forest-dwelling raptor associated with open lands in Europe (BirdLife International 2021). Populations vary from resident to migratory. Some S European populations are critically endangered (Madroño et al. 2004).

Season of assessment

B

Population trendIncreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		65100-76600,70300
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Red Kite

All continental populations migrate along a NE-SW axis, with Spain being the major wintering area for the species (hosting up to 50,000 kites); Molina 2015). Tracking data confirm the main patterns seen in recovery data. There is therefore high overlap in wintering areas of birds from different countries. Red Kites in the UK are resident, with seemingly random local to short-range dispersal; some birds even reach mainland Europe from SW to E Europe. There is an exceptional recovery of a juvenile bird from Scotland reported in Iceland in Dec 1997.

Recoveries by Condition for Red Kite

Overall, most recoveries come from birds seen alive (ca. 70%), often identified from wing tags or PVC rings. Before 1960, however, a very high proportion of recoveries (46%) were shot - fortunately this is now exceptional. Today, however, ca. 20% of recoveries are of birds found dead or sick/wounded. In part this is due to poisoning, a problem in several regions in the winter quarters (Berny & Gaillet 2008, Mateo-Tomás et al. 2020). Electrocution and illegal killing also pose a conservation problem for the species (Smart et al. 2010, Tavecchia et al. 2012).

Annual Movements for Red Kite

Post-breeding (autumn) migration can start as early as Aug (confirmed also by telemetry; Pfeiffer & Meyburg 2009), though normally in Oct or even Nov (Vidcil-Mciteo et al. 2021); the peak arrival in Iberia is in Oct, mostly across the western edge of Pyrenees (Vidcil-Mciteo et al. 2021). Adults depart from Iberia in spring in Feb/Mar, whilst immature birds depart later and within a wider range - Feb-Jun (García-Macía et al. 2021). Migration in spring is faster than in autumn (García-Macía et al. 2021).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Red Kite

N/C European Red Kites leave their breeding areas Sep-Nov, although some birds are resident (Vidcil-Mciteo et al. 2021). The journey to the winter quarters can take from days to weeks, with high individual variability (García-Macía et al. 2021). Exceptionally, some birds move to S/SE Europe rather than to W/SW Europe; these birds seem to show winter site-fidelity (Literák et al. 2018). Passage through Gibraltar reported, though uncommon (Onrubia 2015). Recoveries in Africa exceptional, in Oct in Morocco, in Jan in Côte d’Ivoire. S populations resident, with immature birds showing local movements. Adults from S Europe tend to stay in or close to their breeding sites in winter, and therfore tend not to mix with birds from abroad at communal roosts (Heredia et al. 1991).

Juan Arizaga

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
Berny, P., Gaillet, J.-R.2008 . Acute poisoning of Red Kites (Milvus milvus) in France: Data from the SAGIR network. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 44: 417–426
BirdLife International2021 . Species factsheet: Milvus milvus.
García-Macía, J., Vidal-Mateo, J., De La Puente, J., Bermejo, A., Raab, R., Urios, V.2021 . Seasonal differences in migration strategies of Red Kites (Milvus milvus) wintering in Spain. Journal of Ornithology in press
Heredia, B., Alonso, J. C., Hiraldo, F.1991 . Space and habitat use by red kites Milvus milvus during winter in the Guadalquivir marshes - a comparison between resident and wintering populations. Ibis 133: 374–381
Literák, Ivan; Raab, Rainer; Vyhnal, Stanislav; Spakovszky, Péter; Steindl, Jochen.2018 . Occurrence of Red Kites Milvus milvus in Serbia based on birds tracked by telemetry devices. Acrocephalus 39: 176–177
Madroño, A., González, C., Atienza, J. C.2004 . Libro Rojo de las Aves de España. DGB-SEO/BirdLife, Madrid
Mateo-Tomás, P., Olea, P. P., Mínguez, E., Mateo, R., Viñuela, J.2020 . Direct evidence of poison-driven widespread population decline in a wild vertebrate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117
Molina, B.2015 . El milano real en España. III Censo Nacional (2014). Población invernante y reproductora en 2014 y método de censo. SEO/BirdLife, Madrid
Onrubia, A.2015 . Spatial and temporal patterns of soaring birds migration through the Strait of Gibraltar. PhD thesis. University of León
Pfeiffer, T., Meyburg, B.U.2009 . Migratory and wintering behaviour of the Red Kite Milvus milvus in Thuringia (Germany) as revealed by Satellite Telemetry. Vogelwarte 47: 171–187
Smart, J., Amar, A., Sim, I. M. W., Etheridge, B., Cameron, D., Christie, G., Wilson, J. D.2010 . Illegal killing slows population recovery of a re-introduced raptor of high conservation concern – The red kite Milvus milvus. Biological Conservation 143: 1278–1286
Tavecchia, G., Adrover, J., Navarro, A. M., Pradel, R.2012 . Modelling mortality causes in longitudinal data in the presence of tag loss: application to raptor poisoning and electrocution. Journal of Applied Ecology 49: 297–305
Vidcil-Mciteo, J., de la Puente, J, Bermejo, A., Urios, V.2021 . Red Kite Milvus milvus; In: Migration strategies of birds of prey in Western Palearctic. CRC Press, Boca RatonEditor(s): M. Panuccio, Mellone, U., Agostini, N.

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