Each spring these sociable birds migrate up from sub-Saharan Africa via the Straits of Gibraltar or along the
coast of the Black Sea to have their chicks in Europe, which supports a population of at least 65,000
breeding pairs. As the climate warms their territory has been expanding north and in recent years they’ve
been spotted soaring over the UK’s southern shores, potentially scouting out new habitats.
The first recorded bird was spotted in the UK in 1971 and there wasn’t another sighting until 1979. Now
there have been more than 30 sightings. Bird expert David Tomlinson, who spotted a black kite gliding
above his home in Suffolk in April last year, says there is a strong chance a pair will nest in the next decade.
“At the moment, the Loire Valley in France is about as far north as you expect them to be breeding.
There’s a lot of overshoot in spring but they don’t seem to stay around for long. However, if two should
arrive together there’s a good chance they could stop and nest in the UK,” he said.
Research from the British Trust of Ornithology (BTO) says black kites are one of 10 birds that are likely to
colonise the UK in the coming years as average temperatures increase.
The birds normally hunt near lakes and rivers but increasingly live near landfill where there is plenty of
prey. Similar to red kites, they are opportunistic feeders and often pick up dead or sick animals, or pinch
them from buzzards and kestrels.
They are agile flyers and can catch food “on the wing”, bringing it directly into their mouth without slowing
down. Unlike most raptors, they are social birds that often gather in large flocks to roost.
Black kites are opportunistic feeders and often
pick up dead or sick animals (JM Garg/Creative
Commons)“There will be no problem with them surviving in the UK. If it wasn’t for the Channel, I’m sure that these
birds would already be nesting here,” said Mr Tomlinson, who thinks UK bird watchers would be “thrilled”
to see them starting families here.
“If we do get one or two birds they’re a very colonial species and successful at breeding so their offspring
might well come back and found a small colony.”
Non-native species can have devastating effects on UK wildlife – the introduction of grey squirrels caused a
catastrophic decline in native red squirrels and Asian hornets are believed to be having a devastating impact
on British honeybees.
However, as scavengers, experts say black kites will have a negligible effect on existing ecosystems as they
rely heavily on carrion. This means – like red kites – they are unlikely to have any conflict of interest with
existing birds of prey.
Gareth Cunningham, the RSPB’s head of nature policy, says any black kites arriving in the UK must be a