Three of the North East's MPs have got together in the Lower Derwent valley to sign the RSPB's pledge promoting the conservation of England's birds of prey.
MPs Dave Anderson (Blaydon), Bill Etherington (North Sunderland), and Sharon Hodgson (Washington), put their names to a pledge recognising the importance of these birds to our natural heritage and stating there should be no place in England's future for the illegal killing of birds of prey.
The MPs were then treated to a red kite safari by the Northern Kites team in Dave Anderson's Blaydon Constituency, before visiting Rowlands Gill Community Primary School ('the red kite school'). Here they learned more about how the red kites have become part of that school's everyday life and how other birds of prey could assume a high profile in communities.
Andy Bunten from the RSPB said: 'I'm delighted that our local MPs recognise the importance of birds of prey. The continuing success of red kites in the North East is a great example of what can be achieved.
'The support the red kites have received from local communities, especially schools, has been fantastic. We now need to get it right for other birds of prey like the hen harrier, which is on the verge of extinction in England because of illegal killing.'
Dave Anderson MP said: 'It is always a joy to watch the red kites in my constituency, and a greater joy still to bring some of my Parliamentary colleagues to my beautiful Blaydon Constituency and share 'our' kites with them. It always amazes me some people don't feel positively towards birds of prey, or take them to the heart of their community, as we have done with the red kites.
'That is why my colleagues and I feel that it is so important to sign this pledge. Birds of prey, as personified by the kites, are beautiful, thrilling to see and a part of what we should expect from a vibrant, healthy landscape everywhere. I hope this pledge succeeds in securing a better future for all of them, for everybody.'
The RSPB is asking members of the public who care about our birds of prey to pledge their support for an end to illegal killing at: www.rspb.org.uk/birdsofprey