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Co Down kite death an exmaple of why we need action

Last modified: 20 November 2009

Poisoned red kite in Northern Ireland
Poisoned red kite in Northern Ireland - RSPB - Robert Straughan

Only days after the RSPB NI called for information on the recent poisoning of a wild red kite in County Down, a new EU action plan has been adopted to try to address huge declines in Europe’s red kite population.   

The RSPB has said that numbers on the bird’s main wintering grounds in Spain have halved since 1994, and there have been big falls in the number of breeding pairs in its heartlands of Spain, France and Germany. 

So alarming is the drop in numbers that the EU has now adopted a Red Kite Action Plan, produced by the RSPB on behalf of Birdlife International and with the support of red kite experts across Europe. 

As has been seen with the recent death of a red kite here, the greatest threat comes from birds feeding on carcasses that have been illegally laced with agricultural pesticides to control foxes and other ‘pests’. Red kites are excellent scavengers and are particularly vulnerable to poisoned baits. 

The Red Kite Action Plan outlines steps countries can take to:

  • Stop the use of poison baits.
  • Reduce the risk of red kites eating poisoned rats and voles.
  • Maintain and improve the places where red kites’ feed and breed. 

The first, truly international census of red kites will be carried out in 2013 and again five years later to see if these steps are working. 

The RSPB’s NI Director, Dr James Robinson, said that the action plan was very timely in light of the recent death of a red kite in Northern Ireland.  “Birds of prey continue to be killed, despite the fact that it is illegal and has been for decades.  The recent poisoning of a red kite in County Down was shocking – it’s because of senseless deaths like this that the RSPB has been running a campaign to stamp out the killing of birds of prey. 

“We are calling for an end to this unacceptable cruelty, but the campaign can only be effective with your help: we are urging as many people as possible to add their names to the call: sign up by visiting www.rspb.org.uk/birdsofprey.“ 

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