Red Kites Reintroduced To Ireland

Thirty Young Birds Released Into The Wilds Of Wicklow

Up to 30 young Red Kites were introduced to the wild in Co. Wicklow last week, kicking off a programme to restore this native bird of prey to Ireland. 

"These wonderful birds became extinct in Ireland more than 200 years ago because of habitat change and persecution" said John Gormley, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

"From today they can be seen again in the skies above County Wicklow. This project to reintroduce the red kite shows what we can achieve here in Ireland in terms of protecting and enhancing our natural heritage."

Ireland's big birds of prey were all lost over the past two centuries, due to human activities. However since 2000, a series of restoration projects have begun to address this.

"The kites' return is a significant addition to our biodiversity and a wonderful complement to the golden eagle and white-tailed eagle  restoration projects" the Minister continued.

"This work is at the core of one of the heritage elements in the Programme for Government and I am delighted to see this early progress."

The Wicklow Red Kite Project is a partnership between the Golden Eagle Trust, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Welsh Kite Trust.  It is funded by grants from the Minister's Department and the Heritage Council.  

Project Manager, Damian Clarke expressed his delight at the progress, saying, "As a native of Wicklow I am delighted that this county has been chosen as the first release site for the reintroduction of this spectacular bird to Ireland. 

"I look forward to working closely with local farmers, landowners, community and recreational interests.  In future years these beautiful birds will become another tourist attraction in the Garden of Ireland, as they have done in Wales"

The Red Kite is a bird of mixed lowland countryside.  Its primary nesting habitat is woodland but it may spend a large amount of time feeding in farmland and hedgerow.  The birds spend a part of each day soaring above the landscape in order to search for food.   The birds are individually marked with numbered wing tags so that they can be relocated and their survival monitored.  The first sign of breeding behaviour by these Red Kites in Ireland is expected to occur by 2010. .  Although the birds are natural scavengers, they feed extensively on earthworms, small mammals such as rats and rabbits and birds such as magpies and other crows.  The Red Kite does not present any threat to livestock and in parts of the UK they have become major tourist attractions as they perform spectacular aerial displays.