Red Kites are distinctive because of their forked tail and striking colour - predominantly chestnut red with white patches under the wings and a pale grey head.
They have a wingspan of nearly two metres (about five-and-a-half-feet), but a relatively small body weight of 2 - 3 Ibs. This means the bird is incredibly agile, and can stay in the air for many hours with hardly a beat of its wings.
Red Kites are neither particularly strong nor aggressive despite being large birds.
Primarily a scavenger and an opportunist; it profits from sheep carrion but is not capable of opening up sheep or lamb carcasses by itself and has to wait until more powerful birds such as ravens or buzzards have made the first inroads before it will attempt to feed.
Red Kites are however predators and take a wide variety of live prey, ranging from earthworms to small mammals, amphibians and birds. Persecution meant that the bird was exterminated in England, Scotland and most of Wales by the end of the last century. The 16th Century saw a series of Vermin Acts, requiring 'vermin' including the Red Kite to be killed throughout the parishes of Wales and England -the bird was perceived as a threat to expanding agriculture.
Such persecution continued throughout the 17th and 18th Centuries, and at the end of the 18th Century another devastating blow happened when increasing numbers of gamekeepers were employed on country estates, set up after the initiation of the parliamentary enclosures. These men were responsible for killing far more Red Kites. By the late 18th Century, Red Kites had bred for the last time in England; the story in Scotland was similar.
Only in rural Mid Wales did Red Kites hang on, their numbers down to just a few pairs. At that point a few local landowners had the foresight to set up an unofficial protection programme to try to safeguard this beautiful bird. Over a period of around 100 years, efforts to maintain a fragile breeding population were made by committed generations of landowners, rural communities, dedicated individuals and organisations. Thanks to the dedication of individuals and organisatons, and despite severe threats from egg collectors, poisoning and some modern farming practices, Red Kite numbers are now gradually increasing.
This cache is a clip lock box. There is a FTF keyring for the First To Find. Please feel free to swap any item in the ‘cache but please remember, if you take something, leave something of equal or greater value in return.
Renumbered from 15 to 7 to create a more logical series around the forest.
First To Find honours go to: Team Lankidden
N.B. All the caches in this series have been granted permission to be placed by Joanne Mason, the Beat Manager for the forest, and written permission has been passed to the Reviewers. The Forestry Commission will not give permission for any more caches in these woods. Please do not ask the Reviewers to place any further caches as the FC will not allow it and placement of further caches will result in geocaching being banned in this area.
The FC wish you to aware of the following: The landowner (Forestry Commission East England) does not assess the suitability or safety of the cache location. The cache placer & the cache finder have a responsibility to take reasonable precautions to protect their own safety & the safety of others. Hazards observed at or on route to the cache location should be reported to the cache placer