Red Kite

The Red Kite is a medium-large raptor instantly recognized by its deeply-forged tail and striking rufous-brown plumage. This feather exhibits the rich, warm reddish-brown tones characteristic of the species' body plumage, designed for insulation and display.

Rich warm rufous-brown or chestnut coloration with darker shaft and a pale, whitish-buff base, exhibiting classic raptor warm morph pigmentation

Pennaceous upper portion with a semiplume or downy base near the calamus, good structural integrity with intact barbs

Central rachis is whitish at the base and darkens toward the tip, relatively flexible with fine, densely packed barbs extending evenly

Smooth and soft in the basal plumulaceous zone, transitioning to a firmer, matte pennaceous vane towards the tip

Upper wing covert, scapular, or flank feather, determined by the warm rufous tones and soft base typical of body plumage rather than stiff flight feathers

Warm rufous-chestnut color, pale downy base, flexible dark rachis, and soft rounded contour shape

Open countryside, semi-open landscapes, woodlands, river valleys, and agricultural areas

Western Palearctic, particularly strong in parts of Europe including the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and France

Primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion, small mammals, and earthworms, playing a crucial sanitary role in the ecosystem

Black Kite (Milvus migrans) or Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), distinguished by the more intensely warm rufous tones in the Red Kite

Red Kites were once common medieval scavengers in London and helped clean up city streets. They were nearly extinct in the UK before a successful reintroduction program.

Historically protected in medieval London for their scavenging role in cleaning refuse. Today, they are a celebrated conservation success story in the UK

Look near woodland edges, tall trees used as communal roosts, and open fields where Kites forage

Good condition with intact barbs and minimal wear, suggesting it was recently molted

Blenheim ox20 Oxfordshire