More Red Kites to be released into the wild

A further 53 rare birds are to be released in Co Down and Co Wicklow this week as part of the phased reintroduction of the Red Kite in Ireland.

Last year around 30 Red Kites were introduced by Minister for the Environment John Gormley. While the majority of these survived, with some going on to form pairs, one of the birds was found shot dead shortly after it's release. It is hoped that some of these will go on to breed.

The bird with a distinctive forked tail was once common in Ireland and Britain but was driven to extinction (except for in remote parts of Wales) by shooting, trapping and poisoning.

Of the new batch of birds to be introduced to Ireland, 27 Red Kites have been brought to Co. Down where the RSPB are managing the reintroduction. The other twenty-six birds will be released by the Golden Eagle Trust in Co Wicklow.

The Red Kite is so called because of its reddish brown body and tail. Its tail is deeply forked making it an easily recognisable bird. Kites have a wingspan of up to 1.8 metres

"It is just over a year ago since I had the pleasure of attending the release of the first batch of these magnificent birds and I understand that the first year of the Wicklow Red Kite project has proven very
successful, with a minimum of twenty-six kites surviving the winter, said Minister Gormley today.

Tracking of the newly released Kites will be possible through the fitting of satellite packs to two of the birds. These tiny solar powered packs are fitted to the birds backs and allow the project team to check the exact location of the birds via the internet.

Updates on the project can be seen on the Golden Eagle Trust website at www.goldeneagle.ie