August’s Birds of the Month: iconic birds of prey in the UK

Kestrels aren’t particularly vocal, but sometimes make a repetitive, shrill ‘kee-kee-kee’.

• Dark ‘tear’ marks extending below each eye
• Pale underside with black speckles (not bars like on a Sparrowhawk)
• Males have a slate-grey head and reddish-brown back
• Females are browner all over
• Long tail with a black band at the end. Usually fanned out while hovering

Kestrels live in most areas of the UK, apart from western Scotland. They like to use open habitats, such as grasslands, farmland and heathland, where they can get a good view of their prey. They also visit open spaces in towns and cities.   

Easy – you might even spot one from your car while driving along a motorway!  

Sadly, Kestrels declined by 37% between 1995 and 2023 and now feature on the Amber List of Birds of Conservation Concern. The exact causes of this decline are still unclear, but could include what’s known as ‘secondary poisoning’ where Kestrels become sick or die from eating poisoned prey. Changes to the way land is farmed might also be a factor.

Kestrels are an RSPB Priority Species and we’re carrying out research to get to the bottom of their decline, so that we can better understand how to help them. We also work with farmers to help them create ideal habitat for these birds.

Red Kites have a characteristic whistling ‘peee eooo eooo’ call.

• Long, deeply forked tail
• Angular wings, with white patches underneath and dark, fingered wing tips
• Adults have a reddish-brown body with dark streaks and a pale grey head
• When soaring, Red Kites hold their wings flat, or slightly downcurved

Compared to many other birds of prey, Red Kites have relatively weak talons, so they mainly feed on carrion and can often be seen soaring over roads looking for roadkill. You might also see them flying over woodland, open countryside and even towns.

Thankfully, Red Kites are now much easier to see than just a few decades ago. In their strongholds in Wales, central England and central Scotland, you have a great chance of spotting one. 

Back in Shakespeare’s day, Red Kites were really common, even in cities, where they acted as clean-up crews, catching rodents and scavenging on the scraps of meat that littered the streets. But attitudes changed and Red Kites became the victims of intense persecution. By the end of the 19th century, they were extinct in Scotland, England and Ireland, and just a few pairs were clinging on in Wales.

Thanks to reintroduction projects led by the RSPB and other organisations, Red Kites have made an astonishing comeback in the UK, with numbers increasing by 2,464% between 1995 and 2023. The UK is now home to about 17% of the world’s population.

Sparrowhawks are most vocal during the breeding season, in spring and summer. Listen for their rapid, high-pitched ‘kek-kek-kek’ calls.

• Males have a blue-grey back, and orangey-brown bars on their underparts
• Females and juveniles have a brown-grey back, and pale underparts with brown barring
• Striking yellow eyes
• Long, thin, yellow legs
• T-shaped silhouette when flying, with a long square-ended tail and blunt wing tips
• They have a distinctive ‘flap-flap-glide’ flight pattern

You could see a Sparrowhawk almost anywhere in the UK, except for parts of Scotland. They’re most common in woodlands, farmland and gardens.

Moderate. You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled to spot a super-fast Sparrowhawk! Try to listen out for the alarm calls of small birds – this is a tell-tale sign that a Sparrowhawk could be nearby.   

Sparrowhawk numbers plummeted in the 1950s and 60s, largely as a result of organochloride pesticides. These chemicals built up in the food chain and resulted in the shells of Sparrowhawk eggs becoming very thin and prone to breaking during incubation.

After these pesticides were banned, Sparrowhawk numbers recovered. However, between 1995 and 2023, Sparrowhawks declined by 25% and they now feature on the Birds of Conservation Concern Amber List.  

Buzzards make a cat-like mewing call.

• Usually brown, with white undersides to the wings, but their plumage is quite variable
• Adults have an obvious dark tail band and dark trailing edges to their wings
• Long, broad wings with prominent ‘fingers’
• Buzzards tend to hold their wings in a raised ‘V’ when soaring, whereas Red Kites hold their wings flat, or slightly downcurved
• Short tail, often fanned in flight (not forked like a Red Kite’s)

Buzzards are birds of the countryside, so you’re unlikely to see one in urban areas. Look out for them perching on lampposts and fences at the side of roads or walking through fields.

Easy. You could come across a Buzzard almost anywhere in the UK.  

Buzzard numbers have recovered from a low point in the mid-1900s and they are now on the Birds of Conservation Concern Green List, meaning that they’re doing well.

White-tailed Eagles are usually quite quiet, but you might hear a high-pitched, repetitive yapping call.

• Massive wingspan, up to 8 feet/2.4 metres
• Brown body with a pale head and neck
• Huge yellow beak (dark in juveniles)
• Adults have white tail feathers
• Soars with wings held flat, rather than in a ‘V’ shape like Golden Eagles

You’re most likely to find White-tailed Eagles along the west coast of Scotland and in the Scottish Islands. They’ve recently been reintroduced to the Isle of Wight and are seen regularly along the south coast of England.

A challenge. There are thought to be fewer than 150 pairs of White-tailed Eagles in the UK, and their range is very restricted, so you might have to travel to track them down. But it’ll be worth it – the sight of a White-tailed Eagle soaring through the sky is one you’ll never forget.

We know from archaeological evidence and historical place names that White-tailed Eagles were once found across the UK, but by the early 19th century they had been driven to extinction in England, as a result of persecution. They clung on longer in Scotland, but the last known White-tailed Eagle was shot and killed here in 1918.

Thanks to a reintroduction project led by the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage, White-tailed Eagles returned to Scotland’s skies in 1975. There have been several more reintroductions in Scotland since then, and in 2019 White-tailed Eagles were released on the Isle of Wight. 

Peregrines make a range of calls, including a grating, high-pitched ‘scraa-scraa-scraa’.  

• Blue-grey above and white below
• Dark barring on the chest and belly
• White throat and cheeks, with a dark mask and ‘moustache’
• Jet-black eyes with a yellow eye ring
• Triangular-shaped wings that taper sharply to a point

Traditionally, Peregrines have nested on ledges on sea cliffs, rocky crags and quarries, but recently they’ve also started taking advantage of tall buildings, such as cathedrals, in urban areas. In summer, you’re most likely to see them in upland areas of Wales, southern Scotland and north-west England, although they are spreading south and east.  

Moderate. Peregrines are much easier to spot now that they’ve started setting up home in our towns and cities, including London, Manchester, Durham, Cambridge and Winchester.

Having declined dramatically as a result of persecution and pesticide poisoning, Peregrine numbers have now recovered and they feature on the Green List of birds of the least conservation concern.

However, like many birds of prey, Peregrines still fall victim to illegal killing – something that the RSPB’s Investigations Team is helping to tackle.