Reviving Red Kites: A Conservation Revival Between Spain and the UK

Mon Nov 10 2025 12:20:15 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Discover how British red kite chicks are being relocated to Spain to bolster an endangered population, marking a collaborative effort in conservation.

In an inspiring conservation project, over 120 red kite chicks born in the UK have been flown to Spain’s Extremadura region, with the aim of reviving the dwindling population of these raptors. The initiative showcases a successful past reintroduction in the UK and aims to combat ongoing threats to both species in their natural habitats, highlighting the intricate dance of international wildlife restoration efforts.

A British red kite emerges from an aviary in the remote hills of western Spain and takes flight. At six months old, this is its first taste of freedom. Without a sound, it soars high in the sky above scrubland and within seconds disappears from view into a wooded valley in the distance.

It is the latest release in a conservation story that has come full circle. Nearly four decades ago, the birds were extinct in England and Scotland with just a few pairs left in Wales.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, red kite chicks from Spain and Sweden were released in the Chilterns on the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire border. It proved so successful that the species is now thriving across the UK, with estimates of more than 6,000 mating pairs or about 15% of the world's population.

British-born red kite chicks have now been taken to south west Spain as part of a four-year project to revive the population there from the brink of extinction. The region has fewer than 50 mating pairs due to predators like the eagle owl and human factors such as illegal poisoning and electrocution.

In 2022, conservationists were granted special licences from Natural England to collect red kite chicks, mostly from Northamptonshire, and send them over to the Extremadura region of Spain. More than 120 chicks have been collected, with about 30 exported each year.

After being tagged and fitted with GPS backpacks, the birds are moved to holding aviaries near the Portuguese border to acclimatise to their new surroundings before being released. This release is both an exciting and nerve-racking moment for conservationists as they monitor the survival rates of these birds. Despite the risks, the initiative is a hopeful endeavor to restore the red kite population in areas where they have vanished.

With more tagged red kites due to reach sexual maturity next year, there is optimism that the numbers will continue to grow, bringing hope for future conservation efforts across Southern Europe.