A new book is being published that describes the story of the successful reintroduction of red kites to the UK in 1990s.

The book details how the Chilterns was selected as the initial location for the establishment of young chicks brought in from Sweden and Spain. The book’s author, Dr Mike Pienkowski, was the Chairman of the Red Kite Project Team from the 1980s to 1995.

In the Middle Ages, Red Kites were a common sight across the British countryside and cities, where people valued them for keeping the streets clear of carrion (dead animals). The birds were frequently mentioned in Shakespeare’s works. But later changes in attitude led to their extermination in most of the UK, until they were reduced to a tiny population in Wales. By the 1980s, they were one of only three globally vulnerable bird species occurring in Britain.

The book, When the Kite Builds: Why and how we restored red kites across Britain:

• Describes why the decision was taken to reintroduce the kites and how international help was needed to find a healthy source of red kite chicks, with the first imported kites coming from Sweden and Spain.
• Examines the success of the experiment.
• Explores the challenges of collecting and transporting the red kite chicks, and how help was enlisted from the RAF and British Airways.
• Describes how Wormsley in the Chilterns was selected as a safe place for rearing the young kites in quarantine conditions, with minimal human contact.
• Explores the outcome for red kites and other species, the fight against illegal persecution and poisoning, and the changes in public attitudes.

In 2020, looking back over more than 30 years, RSPB described the Red Kite project as “the biggest species success story in UK conservation history!”