Red kites were driven to extinction in England by human persecution
by the end of the nineteenth century. A small population survived
in Wales, but there was little chance of these birds repopulating
their original areas.
Between 1989 and 1994, kites from Spain were imported and released
into the Chilterns by the RSPB and English Nature. Red kites
started breeding in the Chilterns in 1992 and now there are
over 300 breeding pairs in the area.
Since 1999, chicks have been taken from the Chilterns to re-introduction
sites in other parts of the country.
The red kite re-introduction has proved to be one of the greatest
conservation success stories of the 20th century.
In the United Kingdom, populations of red kites now occur in:
