Carter The Red Kite’s Year

Erscheinungsjahr 2019
ISBN: 978-1-78427-201-2
Verlag: Pelagic Publishing
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 176 Seiten

Reihe: Pelagic Monographs

'thoroughly recommended' —Country-side magazine

The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) – one of our most elegant and impressive birds of prey – has a varied and dramatic history in Britain. Having been driven perilously close to extinction, it has now made a welcome comeback, in part through one of the most successful reintroduction projects ever undertaken. This beautifully illustrated book follows the birds through the ups and downs of the year, from the rigours of raising young during the warm summer months to the struggle for survival in the depths of winter.

Interspersed with the monthly accounts, are chapters on the history of the Red Kite in Britain, the reintroduction programme, the threats it still faces, and its status elsewhere in Europe. Red Kite biology is explored from nest construction, egg laying and nest defence, through to juveniles leaving the nest and learning to live independently. The book concludes with an overview of Red Kite status throughout their range.

With a foreword by Mark Avery.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Carter, Ian

Weitere Mitwirkende

Powell, Dan

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Ökologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Tierkunde / Zoologie Wirbeltiere (Vertebrata) Vögel (Ornithologie)
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Tier- und Umweltschutz
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften, Biologie: Sachbuch, Naturführer

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword by Mark Avery

Acknowledgements

Introduction  The artworks

January

Winter food; Coping with severe weather

February

The first signs of spring; The pair bond and age of first breeding; Courtship behaviour and calling; Male or female?

History in Britain

Early history; A decline in fortunes; The road to recovery – Red Kite protection in Wales

March

Faithfulness to breeding sites; Nest building; Nest spacing and breeding density

April

Final touches to the nest; Eggs and incubation; Nest decoration; Defence of the nest

The Red Kite reintroduction programme

Early reintroduction attempts; Planning the restoration to England and Scotland; Collecting young and care in captivity; Release into the wild; Progress so far; Further release projects; The wider benefits of reintroduction; Bringing back the Red Kite – a project officer’s perspective; The future

May

Care of small chicks; Studies of food in the breeding season; Foraging range and habitat use

June

The growing brood; Preparations for the first flight

July

Leaving the nest; Towards independence; Red Kite adoptions; Measuring breeding success

Threats and problems

Illegal persecution; Accidental poisoning; Egg collecting; Collisions and accidents; Powerlines

August

Fending for themselves; Plumage differences; The annual moult; A lull in activity

September

Wanderlust; The Red Kite as a migrant; and The use of new technology

To feed or not to feed? Changes in legislation; Red Kite feeding stations; Feeding in gardens

October

The communal roost; Attendance patterns; The daily routine

November

The benefits of communal roosting; Social interactions and play at roosts

December

A wildlife spectacle; and The influence of weather on roosting behaviour World status Northern Europe; Northwest Europe; Central and eastern Europe; Southern Europe; The future

Further reading

Sources of further information

Species mentioned in the text

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Powell, Dan
Dan Powell is an award-winning wildlife artist and naturalist, whose drawings and paintings have been published in numerous books and journals.

Carter, Ian
Ian Carter took early retirement after twenty-five years as an ornithologist with Natural England. He was closely involved with the Red Kite reintroduction programme and wider work on the conservation of birds of prey, bird reintroductions and wildlife management. The cultural and philosophical aspects of nature conservation have always fascinated him, especially their influence on our attitudes towards the natural world. He has written articles for wildlife magazines including British Birds, British Wildlife and Birdwatch, and has co-authored papers in scientific journals. He wrote The Red Kite (Arlequin Press 2007) and, with Dan Powell, The Red Kite’s Year (Pelagic Publishing 2019), and has been on the Editorial Board of the journal British Birds for over twenty years. He keeps a wildlife diary and has written something in it (however dull) every day for over thirty-five years.

Ian Carter worked as an ornithologist for Natural England and its predecessors for over 25 years before taking early retirement. He has a long history of involvement with raptor conservation, including the reintroduction of the Red Kite.

Dan Powell is an award-winning wildlife artist and naturalist, whose drawings and paintings have been published in numerous books and journals.