Neighbourhood News Magazine

www.sandridge-pc.gov.uk 8 WINTER 2023 I f you hear a piercing, high-pitched whistle and look up to the skies, you may catch a thrilling glimpse of wildness in your suburban St. Albans neighbourhood. While enjoying a walk in our surrounding countryside, you may see it again, scouring the !elds in search of food. What am I talking about? I’m referring to a large golden-brown bird with expansive wings, a forked tail, a pale head and an eagle-like hooked beak. The red kite. Like me, you may be lucky enough to see one (or more) daily. This magni!cent bird glides elegantly on the thermals and "oats majestically above us, looking for carrion and nest-building materials. It can be seen almost everywhere in the UK. Unfortunately, this wasn’t always the case. In medieval London, it was a common bird, protected by royal statute due to its usefulness in taking le#over scraps from the streets to eat and rubbish to decorate its nest. But attitudes changed in the 16th century, when the bird was classed as vermin and a bounty put on its head. Landowners became obsessed with protecting their game animals from any non-human predator. Alongside other birds of prey, the red kite was mercilessly persecuted through poisoning (o#en by contaminating the carrion it ate – take note, red kites eat carrion) or shot. In the 18 th century, the cleaning up, draining and development of cities meant fewer feeding opportunities for the red kite. The bird was no longer welcome in our cities or the countryside.