Red kite – (Milvus milvus)
The red kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers.
Two subspecies are recognised:
- M. m. milvus (Linnaeus, 1758) – Europe and northwest Africa to the Middle East
- M. m. fasciicauda Hartert, 1914 – Cape Verde Islands
The subspecies M. m. fasciicauda is almost certainly extinct.
The following figures (mostly estimates) have been collated from various sources. They cover most of the countries in which red kites are believed to have bred.
| Country | Year | Pairs | Trend | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Unknown | Bred 1906 | ||
| Algeria | 0 | Unknown | Bred in the 19th century, now extinct | |
| Austria | 2000 | 0–2 | Extinct 1950, recolonised 1970s; 10 pairs 1990 | |
| Belarus | 1997 | 1 | Unknown | Extinct 1950s, recolonised 1985; 10 pairs 1990 |
| Belgium | c.1995 | 50–60 | Declined to 1–3 pairs early 1970s, then recovery | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0 | Unknown | ||
| Bulgaria | 0 | Unknown | May breed but no proof | |
| Canary Islands | 0 | Extinct 1970s | ||
| Cape Verde | 2000 | 1? | 50–75 pairs late 1980s; effectively extinct | |
| Croatia | 0 | Unknown | 2–5 pairs 1980s | |
| Czech Republic | 2013 | 165-185 | Extinct late 19th century, recolonised 1975 | |
| Denmark | 2021 | 300-350 | Extinct c.1920, then recolonised (from Sweden) 1970s | |
| England | 2011 | c.2000 | Extinct 1870s, reintroduced 1989–1992, recovering | |
| Estonia | 1989 | <1 | Unknown | |
| France | late 2000s | c.3000 | 2300–2900 pairs 1980s | |
| Germany | late 2000s | c.12000 | 15000–25000 pairs 1980s | |
| Greece | 0 | Unknown | ||
| Hungary | c.1998 | 1+ | 30 pairs 1950s | |
| Ireland | 2010 | 7 | First successful breeding reported in 2010 following reintroduction in 2007 | |
| Italy | c.2002 | 300–400 | Unknown | 70–150 pairs late 1980s |
| Latvia | 1992 | 0–50 | Extinct 1964, then recolonised | |
| Lithuania | 1988 | 1–2 | Extinct, then recolonised 1981 | |
| Luxembourg | 2015 | 90 | ||
| Moldova | 1990 | 1 | Unknown | |
| Montenegro | 1995 | 0 | Unknown | |
| Morocco | c.1992 | 10–100 | In danger of extinction | |
| Netherlands | c.1998 | <5 | Extinct 1852, recolonised 1976 | |
| Northern Ireland | 2010 | 5 | First successful breeding reported in 2010 following reintroduction in 2008 | |
| North Macedonia | 0 | Unknown | ||
| Norway | 1980 | 0 | Bred occasionally in the 19th century | |
| Poland | c.1998 | 650–700 | 400–450 pairs 1980s | |
| Portugal | c.1995 | 100–200 | Unknown | |
| Romania | 1995 | 15–20 | Unknown | |
| Russia | 1992 | 0–50 | Unknown | |
| Scotland | 2009 | 135 | Extinct 1886, reintroduced 1989–1992 | |
| Serbia | Unknown | |||
| Slovakia | 1992 | 10–20 | Unknown | |
| Spain | late 2000s | c.2200 | 10,000 pairs 1977 | |
| Sweden | 2020 | 1900-2200 | Increase from 400 pairs in 1993 | |
| Switzerland | 2013-2016 | 2800-3500 | Declined 19th century, later recovery; 235–300 pairs in the late 1980s, 800-1000 pairs in 1995. | |
| Tunisia | 0 | Unknown | Bred in the 19th century, now extinct | |
| Turkey | 0 | Unknown | May have bred in past but no proof | |
| Ukraine | 1990 | 5–8 | ||
| Wales | 2009 | c.1000 | Declined to 2 pairs in the 1930s, then recovery |
Only few observation near the Danube Delta.
photo: Mihai BACIU
