Red Kite

Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Uncommon bird: +3 points when you log it.

Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Farmland, wooded valleys.
Diet: Carrion, small prey.
Best time to spot: Forked tail, soaring.

When to look

Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. More on the season in UK raptors and owls.

How rare is it?

The Red Kite sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Black KiteRare · Open country (passage)
• Barn OwlUncommon · Rough grassland
• BramblingUncommon · Beech woods
• Common CuckooUncommon · Reedbeds
• Eurasian HobbyUncommon · Heathland
• Eurasian Tree SparrowUncommon · Hedgerow farmland

Tell it apart

Side-by-side ID guides: Buzzard vs Red Kite.

Kit that helps

Best binoculars for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.