The red kite – a woodlandsTV film
by Angus, 10 April, 2020, 0 comments
Today, we have a new woodlandsTV film about Red Kites.
Whilst the red kite was not an uncommon sight in mediaeval times, come the twentieth century it was a rarity. Indeed, the breeding population was restricted to a few pairs in parts of Wales. The red kite is a bird of prey and belongs to the same ‘family’ as eagles, harriers and buzzards; all are raptors. The kite was first described by Carl von Linne, who gave it the name Falco milvus. A French taxonomist later moved the species to the genus Milvus, so it became Milvus milvus (bit of a tautology that). There are two other species in the Milvus genus : the black kite and the yellow billed kite. The word kite may derive from an ‘old english’ word cyta. The birds are approximately 2 feet long but have an extensive wing span of 5 feet plus. Much of the body is covered with reddish brown feathers, which contrast with primary flight feathers that are white and the black wing tips. Read more...
