Aberdeen red kites

Aberdeenshire red kite chicks

Red kites are returning to Aberdeen in an exciting new project which will give the public a chance to get closer to these magnificent birds of prey.

And now chicks have hatched in Aberdeenshire for the first time in almost 150 years, the offspring of birds reintroduced as part of the three-year project.

Aberdeen Red Kites (ARK) is a three year project to reintroduce kites to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. 30 birds were released in 2007, 35 in 2008 and another 30-35 in 2009. Many of the birds have been named by schools and local business. The aim of the project is to establish a breeding population in one of the largest remaining gaps for red kites in Britain.

During the middle ages, the red kite was one of our most common birds of prey. They fed in city streets and were given special protection for their useful street cleansing role. However, persecution and poisoning drove them to extinction in Scotland, and they haven’t nested in the Aberdeen area since the 19th century.

Recent reintroduction schemes have had mixed success. Kites have been unable to cross upland estates safely, and so have not established in the lowlands east of the Grampian Highlands.

Funding and partnership support has come from The National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, Aberdeen Greenspace Trust Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund, and Scottish Natural Heritage, with a further donation from local business supporter, the Stewart Milne Group, Raeburn Christie Clarke and Wallace.

The young red kites are released in late July and are fitted with radio transmitters and wing tags. This allows our team to see where they go after release.

Hopefully, the red kites are well on their way to becoming a popular wildlife spectacle on the edge of one of our largest cities.

Last modified: 29 May 2009

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