UK red kite population question (1 Viewer)

[johnraven]

Does anyone have any estimates of the number of breeding pairs of red kites in the UK in 2005? The Gigrin Farm website provides excellent estimates for 2004 - I just wondered if more recent data were available now that it is December.

The reason I ask is just out of personal interest. I've tracked estimates of the population since 2002 and it seems to have grown by 20% p.a. Interesting to think how quickly they can cover suitable habitat across the country at that sort of growth rate (until lack of suitable habitat starts to restrict population growth).

 

[Gus Horsley]

I'm not sure what it is at the moment but red kites are certainly a success story. About 20 years ago I used to monitor them in mid wales when there were only a few pairs, so I'd also be interested to know what the current population is.

Gus

 

[London Birder]

BTO figures = 372-490 UK pairs

 

[Gus Horsley]

Thanks for that. Your avatar is obviously reflecting your attitude towards Christmas. You should be as festive as me - I'm renting a disused nuclear bunker for the duration.

Gus

 

[London Birder]

lol .. no need for me Gus, the kids will turn the place into something akin to one anyway (with the addition of party hats and discarded twiglets)

 

[johnraven]

Londonbirder - I think your figure must be for Wales only. The Gigrin Farm figure is 369 pairs identified in Wales in 2004, which suggests about 450 in total there (as they usually miss a few). The other parts of England and Scotland were about 330 pairs in total. This makes about 780 pairs in total.

 

[London Birder]

not my figure John, that's the BTO's 'British Population Size'..

Edit:

Prospects: outlook brilliant, possibly increasing to 2,500prs by 2010 if illegal (and accidental) poisoning curbed more ..

British population trend: increasing - possibly by as much as 30%pa.

(BTO as at 15/07/05)

 

[Amarillo]

Does anyone have any estimates of the number of breeding pairs of red kites in the UK in 2005? The Gigrin Farm website provides excellent estimates for 2004 - I just wondered if more recent data were available now that it is December.

The reason I ask is just out of personal interest. I've tracked estimates of the population since 2002 and it seems to have grown by 20% p.a. Interesting to think how quickly they can cover suitable habitat across the country at that sort of growth rate (until lack of suitable habitat starts to restrict population growth).

Yes, the Gigrin Farm website does have excellent information, but it takes them a while before the latest figures are up there. From taking last years figures, I would say the figures for 2005 could be almost at the 1,000 pairs mark.

The population is not really limited by suitable habitat. Apart from maybe parts of East Anglia and Lincolnshire where there are few trees, the whole of Britain is suitable habitat - even urban areas.

Eventually they look set to spread across the whole country - it just takes time, as the birds tend to stay close to where they were born. Hence you get a large population building up in one area before they spread. Hopefully the current slow spread will accelerate as odd pairs nesting between the main populations create "bridges" between them.

 

[rlchew]

Does anyone have any estimates of the number of breeding pairs of red kites in the UK in 2005? The Gigrin Farm website provides excellent estimates for 2004 - I just wondered if more recent data were available now that it is December.

The reason I ask is just out of personal interest. I've tracked estimates of the population since 2002 and it seems to have grown by 20% p.a. Interesting to think how quickly they can cover suitable habitat across the country at that sort of growth rate (until lack of suitable habitat starts to restrict population growth).

The current issue of "Boda Wennol", the newsletter of the Welsh Kite Trust includes an excellent report on the 2005 breeding season including a table split by regions of breeding productivity since 1991.

For the 2005, the figures for breeding pairs are ....

Wales (monitored) = 329
Wales (estimated) = 440-510
Southern England (monitored) = 119
Southern England (estimated) = 300+
Midlands = 52
Yorkshire = 33
North Scotland = 39
Stirling = 25
Dumfries and Galloway = 12

In addition to breeding pairs, the table also gives regional information for % of pairs successful, number of chicks reared, chicks per breeding pair and chicks per successful pair.

The Welsh Kite Trust can be found here .... http://www.welshkitetrust.org

Richard

 

[johnraven]

Wow! Thanks!

 

[johnraven]

Those numbers for 2005 would appear to suggest that the total UK population (pairs) increased by about 20% again in 2005, following similar % increases in 2003 and 2004. Fairly slow but steady growth - 10,000 pairs in 2018?

 

[johnraven]

A certain 'rlchew' who I figure no longer visits this site provided some fascinating red kite population numbers last year (see above) from the publication Boda Wennol. I was just wondering whether any one had access to this and if 2006 figures are out yet?