Sightings of Red Kites in Cambourne

Red Kites are making a comeback and have been spotted over the skies of Cambourne in Cambridgeshire.

Residents in the new town, which is also home to our main office, have seen more and more sightings.

The birds of prey were re-introduced to central England several years ago after many years of decline. From the sixteenth to nineteenth century they were persecuted because they were looked upon as vermin. But now their numbers are on the rise and they are gradually moving east into the skies above Cambridgeshire.

The Wildlife Trust has worked in Cambourne to create a wide range of wildlife habitats. The first sighting our staff recorded of Red Kites was around three years ago and it is really encouraging to have more sightings in the area.

Bar Hill resident Nick Jones now regularly sees the birds: “Having seen them for the first time over Corby I recognised their distinctive silhouette two summers ago when a solitary bird was wheeling above my head. Just last Saturday I saw half-a-dozen over-head…it was fantastic!”

Red Kites are distinctive and so are easy to spot. They can have a wing span of nearly two metres and have a forked tail, which is unlike other birds of prey. Close-up you can see they are red in colour with white patches.

If you see sightings of Red Kites please tell the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Biological Records Centre. Visit their website at http://www.naturenotebook.org.uk/ or telephone the office on 01954 713571