[Vickie & Richard]

My girls were free ranging at the weekend and we are lucky enough to have red kites flying around our area.  One came over the garden and completely freaked my girls out, they very quickly went into finding and i very quickly put them back in their run.  Could a red kite hurt ot kill my girls?

[Bodger]

They are mainly carrion eaters, but both they and buzzards will take pheasant poults, I'm virtually 100% certain that they wouldn't tackle a full sized chicken.

[Kate and her Ducks]

My aunt had one of her bantams killed by a bird of prey. She said it was a red kite but not an expert so she could have been mistaken. I don't know much about birds of prey but I wouldn't have thought there were many (?any) in the UK that could take a full sized chicken.

[Bodger]

We are lucky enough to have lots of peregrines around us. They will take wild ducks and in medieval times were flown at things as big as herons.

[Roughlee Handled]

Well I live in the Forest of Bowland and guess what is the sign of the Forest of Bowland.........................a Hen Harrier  hope what they eat is not in the name.

[rainie]

We have red kites around us to. Apparently they only take dead stuff and small things like mice etc. But, they circle above my run. Never been down though, I think they are probably looking for the mice that live near chickens?  I never trusted them when i had chicks though.  There was a bird (not sure what sort but medium sized) nesting in a nearby tree to us, and they used to go bonkers and chase it away, the kite didnt really put up a fight at all, and just flew away.

[Aunt Sally]

This is a good article about Red Kites.  What a fabulous bird they are.  I frequently see them as I drive up past Oxford way.

http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/features/red-kite2.asp

[chickenlady]

we had a peregrin falcon land in the tree behind the run on sunday morning! all the girls froze and stayed like that for a good 5 mins then one by one they all ran back to the coop, was a little worried although it looked like a juvenile and had been chasing a pigeon (it missed!)

[Vickie & Richard]

This is a good article about Red Kites.  What a fabulous bird they are.  I frequently see them as I drive up past Oxford way.

http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/features/red-kite2.asp

Oxford isn't too far from me, about 30-40mins.  We are lucky enough to have these beautiful birds around here as the RSPCB released a few pair in the Haddenham area a few years ago.  They are amazing birds.

[tiptopchickendon]

This is a good article about Red Kites.  What a fabulous bird they are.  I frequently see them as I drive up past Oxford way.

http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/features/red-kite2.asp

Oxford isn't too far from me, about 30-40mins.  We are lucky enough to have these beautiful birds around here as the RSPCB released a few pair in the Haddenham area a few years ago.  They are amazing birds.

Drive down to Princes Risborough, Stokenchurch through to Watlington...There are loads of them flying about.

Was out at the weekend down by Linford Lakes in MK and noticed 4 of them soaring above, looks like they are travelling northwards. Impressive birds

[nnbreeder]

That is one beautiful raptor. The Kites that we have around here are about a foot long totally and consume bugs, mainly grasshoppers. I got a close-up look last summer when one was hit by a car and I picked it up and turned it over to the Wildlfe Dept. so it could go to the rehabbers for recovery.