Tag: red kite

Red Kite Found Poisoned Near Glenturret Estate, Tayside.

A third red kite has been poisoned with a banned pesticide in Perthshire, police have said.

The Dead Glenturret Red Kite

The dead bird was found on the edge of the Glenturret Estate near Crieff in August 2007.

Two other red kites have also been killed this year and tests have shown all the birds had eaten bait laced with carbofuran, which was outlawed in 2001.

Tayside Police have appealed for information about the deaths, which have been called “sickening” and “an absolute disgrace”.

The force’s wildlife and environment officer said those involved in the deaths should “hang their head in shame.” Alan Stewart said: “It is an absolute disgrace that a method commonly employed to kill birds of prey two centuries ago is still in use in 2007. Pesticides can easily kill people as well as wildlife yet these deadly baits are still left out in the open” He added that it would be “naive” to think the three dead red kites found in Tayside were the only poisoning incidents this year, as most baits and victims were never reported to the police.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/6958331.stm

Report in Strathearn Herald here

Red Kites were absent from Scotland’s skies for over a century due to human persecution. In 1989 a reintroduction programme was initiated by SNH and RSPB to bring this elegant bird of prey back. Although this programme has been successful it has been dogged by illegal poisoning. The red kite’s scavenging feeding habits make it especially vulnerable to this type of crime.

3 red kites poisoned nr Laurieston, Dumfries & Galloway

Another poisoned red kite

Three poisoned red kites were found near Laurieston, Dumfries & Galloway in April 2003. A post mortem revealed they had died from Carbofuran poisoning. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2985915.stm

Later the same month, in the same area, two sparrowhawks were poisoned from Carbofuran that had been laid on pigeon baits.

red kite poisoned nr Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway

The bodies of dead red kites that have been poisoned or shot are becoming more common in the Scottish landscape.

A dead red kite found in January 2008 on a farm near Laurieston, nine miles north of Castle Douglas in Dumfries & Galloway, had been poisoned with Carbofuran.

Re-introduced kites in this area, as well as other areas in Scotland, have been heavily targeted by poisoners who mistakenly think that the birds are a threat to their gamebirds. Red kites feed mainly on carrion (animals that have already died), worms and insects. They are highly susceptible to poisoning because they eat so much carrion, so it is easy for someone to stake out a poisoned bait in an area where kites forage for food.

No-one has been found responsible for the death of this red kite.

Further info: http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Poisoned-kite-sparks-fear-of.3705255.jp

Red kite poisoned at Castlehill, nr Dumfries

Red kites are being reintroduced throughout the UK after persecution wiped them out from large parts of their former range.

A red kite found dead on a road at Castlehill near Dumfries on 8 January 2010 had been poisoned. The bird, less than one year old, is the 15th poisoned red kite found in Dumfries & Galloway from a reintroduced population. An investigation is underway. Further info: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/birdsofprey/Dead-red-kite-is-the.6049123.jp

Red kite shot nr Braco, Perthshire

An x-ray of the injured kite revealed a broken wing and 5 shotgun pellets lodged in the body.

A red kite is recovering after being found with gunshot wounds near the village of Braco, Perthshire. The bird was found by a walker in December 2009. An x-ray revealed a broken wing and five shotgun pellets lodged in its body. No arrests have been made. Further information: http://news.stv.tv/scotland/143113-red-kite-shot-in-rural-perthshire/

Poisoned bait found on Raeshaw Estate, nr Peebles

Red kites, like buzzards, are easy targets for poisoners as their diet includes lots of carrion.

According to an article in The Guardian, poisoned bait was found on the Raeshaw Estate in the Moorfoot hills, near Peebles, in June 2009, during a police raid. The raid followed the discovery of a poisoned red kite on neighbouring land. Several injured dogs were found during the raid and were removed by the SSPCA, who suspected they had been used for badger baiting. Further information can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/15/police-raid-red-kite

In 2004, the bodies of nine raptors (5 barn owls, 2 buzzards, 1 kestrel & 1 tawny owl) were found dead on Raeshaw Estate (see here). Nobody was ever prosecuted.