In much of the 20th century, Red kites were heavily persecuted for their eggs and became confined to small parts of Wales. Golden eagles live in Scotland, primarily in the Highlands and on the Scottish islands, but there are plans to reintroduce them in Wales and Northern Ireland.

How the UK’s red kites came back from the brink

Though it’s tempting to focus on large birds of prey such as eagles, they come in many different shapes and sizes, ranging from the Andean condor, with a wingspan of some 3. The female broods them for the first 14 days while the male brings food to the nest which the female feeds to the chicks.People have also spotted them taking smaller mammals like rabbits, and other birds, like pigeons and crows. Birds of prey can be difficult to tell apart, particularly when you can only catch a fleeting glimpse of them or see a distant silhouette in the sky. Except in elm and cottonwood, most nests are fewer than 20 feet (6 m) above the ground, [9] and are usually near water.

Kite - Description, Habitat, Image, Diet, and Interesting Facts

The females are much bigger than males, which effectively creates two different hunters in their area. Populations of birds of prey vary hugely across the UK; Sparrowhawks, Kestrels and Red Kites are also considered common. The eggs are mainly incubated by the female, but the male will relieve her for short periods while she feeds. In the surrounding trees, red kites that have already arrived watch the field below with keen eyes in anticipation of what's coming. Their huge, powerful wings are perfectly adapted for flying high with minimal effort, and their eyes can spot a mountain hare from great heights.Though they can sometimes be very high, they often sail on the wind not much above treetop level, whe Red kites are 60 to 70cm (24 to 28in) long [14] with a 175–179cm (69–70in) wingspan; males weigh 800–1,200g (28–42oz), and females 1,000–1,300g (35–46oz). The plumage of Buzzards can be pretty variable, with some dark morphs, intermediate and some lighter plumaged birds. These birds vary in size, with the smallest species around eight inches long, and the largest species over two feet long. Buzzards, falcons, vultures, hawks, kites, eagles, harriers, owls and osprey are all examples of birds of prey.