Red kite

    Milvus milvus

Castilian: Milano real

Catalan: Milà reial

Gallego: Millafre real

Euskera: Miru gorria

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Falconiformes

Family: Accipitridae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “In Danger of Extinction” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Endangered”.

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THREATS

Loss of nesting habitat, electrocution, poisoning motivated by the supposed harm it causes to small game hunting, poisoning from animal health substances, the disappearance of maladares (places where domestic animal carcasses are laid), and changes in slaugterhouse policies.

Length / size: 60-66 cm / 154-170 cm

Identification: Medium-sized bird of prey with reddish black-striped tones, with a grey head and neck. Easy to recognize in flight because of its well-defined orange forked tail, as well the white spots under its wings and its great ability to manoeuvre in the air.

Song: Quite silent; it can be heard making a sort of "meowing" sound with notes that go up and down in intensity.

Diet: It is most common for this bird to hunt small animals that are easy to catch, such as rabbits infected with myxomatosis, micromammals, reptiles, chicks, etc. However, in winter it is common to see it in landfills, rubbish dumps, and farms. It also behaves to a certain extent as a scavenger, which causes it to look for dead animals near motorways.

Reproduction: These birds of prey perform a great aerial show during courtship, with pecking and chasing accompanied by calls. Later, the build or repair the nest, which is made of branches, grass, wool and bits of cloth, and is located above trees at a considerable height. Incubation is done by the female, and by the male for short periods of time; the eggs hatch gradually, which explains the size difference between siblings. At first the female feeds the chicks with prey that the male brings, but later both will go out to look for food while the chicks wait in the nest.

HABITAT

When wintering, it prefers cleared farmland, and sometimes those near population centres, in order to obtain food. At night, it goes to its roost, and has the ability to travel long distances to reach it. During breeding season, it occupies wooded mid-mountain areas with open spaces, such as meadows, pine forests or grasslands with livestock.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: The breeding population is distributed throughout Navarre, Basque Country, Catalonia, Aragon, Castile and León, Madrid, Extremadura, Andalusia, and some provinces in Castile-La Mancha.

In Castile and León: It breeds in all the provinces, although the most important concentrations are found in grassland areas in Salamanca, Zamora, and the northern side of the Central System.

Movements and migrations: Specimens from other European countries, especially Germany and France, begin to reach our country in September, joining up with the reproductive population in Spain.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 1900-2700 breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: There is an estimated minimum population of 850 breeding pairs.