Red kites swoop on schoolchildren

2011-06-02 00:08:47

1 June 2011 Last updated at 15:02 Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Red kites swoop on children eating lunch in Watlington The red kites are said to be getting bolder Continue reading the main story Related Stories Red kites spread into Shropshire Almost extinct Red Kite returns RAF safety fears over red kites

Pupils at a school in Oxfordshire say they have been targeted by red kites swooping down to take their food.

One student at Icknield Community College in Watlington is said to have been scratched by one of the birds as he ate lunch in the market town.

A farm worker said the increasingly bold kites were "sweeping up" chickens. Witnesses have also described seeing the birds perching on prams.

Experts say the problem stems from people feeding the birds of prey.

Pupils at the college have been told not to eat their lunches in the playing fields.

'Need culling'

One student, Joe, said: "Red kites come and swarm around everyone when they're eating. They've swooped down to grab it out of our hand.

"One Year 8 [student] had his hand scratched by one of them and had a tetanus jab."

Red kites were reintroduced to the Chilterns area in the 1990s after becoming extinct in England.

Continue reading the main story Red kite facts Became extinct in England in 1871 Average wingspan 5ft Typical diet of mice, moles, worms, small rabbits and carrion Moved from red to amber on list of conservation concerns in 2002 A 2011 RSPB survey recorded 2,000 breeding pairs, an increase of more than 130% since last year

There are about 500 to 600 breeding pairs in the area today.

Cathy Rose from the Chilterns Conservation Board said: "We should not encourage them to come down by putting additional food out.

"Then their numbers will actually become balanced with the amount of food that nature can provide for them.

"Let them survive naturally in the wild and they will control their own numbers that way."

Ms Rose added that the red kites attracted tourists to the area.

"It's an area of outstanding natural beauty so it's already attracting lots of people, but the kites just give an added focus of interest for wildlife enthusiasts."

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