Red kites are back in our skies again this spring, for the first time in over 200 years. As the lambing season gets underway, the RSPB has issued a press statement reassuring farmers that lambs are not at risk from the recently arrived birds.
RSPB NI’s Red Kite Project Officer, Robert Straughan, said: “We’ve been working with local farmers since the beginning of the project and are confident that they understand that the kites pose no threat to their livestock. Now that the kites are spreading out a bit more, we wanted to make sure that farmers further afield are also clear that there is no need to worry.
"The red kite is not a powerful bird and cannot take mammals as large as lambs. Truth be told they are really scavengers whose diet consists of earthworms, small carcasses, scraps of meat and the occasional mouse.”
He allayed any fears that they would attack lambs, as they were more “opportunist feeders and not hunters.”
However, Robert did say that the birds may be interested in the afterbirth, docked testicles and tails left in the field. Red kites seen during these time were in no way a danger to the lambs themselves, he stressed.
President of Welsh Farmers’ Union, Mr Gareth Vaughan, also a sheep farmer, said, “I’ve had red kites nesting on my farm for several years now and feel honored by their presence. The red kite used to be rare in Wales but is now a common sight. Farmers here know that they don’t harm lambs and are not a problem. The recovery of Welsh red kites is one of nature’s good news stories.”
Ulster Farmers Union President Graham Fury supported this saying, “From the outset Ulster Farmers Union have been positive towards the red kite reintroduction project maintaining an excellent dialogue and working together effectively with RSPB Northern Ireland. We hope the project goes from strength to strength and welcome RSPB’s willingness and ongoing efforts to explain to farmers about these birds. It is important farmers know that red kites pose no threat to newborn lambs.”
Farmers who do have questions about the bird should contact 02890 491547, or email redkiteni@rspb.org.uk.
Red kites were reintroduced to Northern Ireland last year, in a project run by RSPB NI in partnership with the Welsh Kite Trust and the Golden Eagle Trust in the Republic of Ireland. The first ever species reintroduction in NI, the project has gained great support from the local community – including a special ‘adopt a kite’ scheme which has been taken up by local schools.