During this year’s breeding season, fieldworkers managed to locate 166 breeding pairs in Scotland, 17 more than in 2009 with Ross-shire recording 53, the highest since reintroduction in 1989.A minimum of 291 young fledged over the past year, a rise of 57 on the previous year, making it one of the most successful reintroductions in UK history. The species has thrived in England since 1989 and has the fastest growing bird population south of the Border.
The red kite recovery in Scotland remains slow and at times stagnated, according to RSPB and SNH.They say that despite a positive breeding season this year, one factor that continues to pose a problem to red kite recovery in Scotland is illegal poisoning. As scavengers, red kites are particularly vulnerable to this activity. So far in 2010, six birds (three in the Highlands, two in Tayside and one in Dumfries and Galloway) are confirmed by the Scottish Government as having died this way.
In an unprecedented move, more than 200 of Scotland’s leading landowners wrote to the Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham in May denouncing the poisoning of birds of prey.
The Herald
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