Something they have done very well for many years. Their continued growth in numbers has in part been put down to their ongoing success in hunting UK garden birds.

Their eyes are yellow or orange in appearance with distinctive yellow legs and talons. They are small birds with the male having bluish-grey back and wings and orangey-brown bars on their chest and belly. It is now protected and following a number of reintroductions, its numbers have recovered. Many years ago the Red Kite was perceived to pose a threat to both domestic and wild animals and was hunted nearly to extinction. With their distinct deeply forked tail, reddish-brown bodies the Red Kites is quite a majestic looking bird. As a result, they can be found in wetlands and nature reserves in the south. This once quite rare bird in the UK has begun spreading out across the UK into areas with reedbeds. Marsh HarrierĪlthough migrants to the UK, Marsh harriers are mainly found in the East and South East of England with pockets found in the North and South West in addition to Scotland. The RSPB believes that the bird is more secure now than it has been in the last century but due to past historical declines it still remains on the Amber List. Females appear different, darker brown but with a golden-yellow crown and throat. Male Marsh Harriers have a brown backs, gingery belly, paler head and neck, with distinct grey wings with black tips.

Still, when food is scarce, it will also feed on amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, nestlings, eggs of birds and worms. Unlike many other larger prey birds, the Honey Buzzard feeds predominantly on Bees, Wasps, and other insect larvae. The Honey Buzzard is a large bird of prey that forms part of the Buzzard family.

They are listed on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, which affords special protection at all times. The Hen Harrier prefers areas open areas which are typically found in Scotland, Wales and Northern England but they have also been occasionally recorded in the South and South-East of England during the winter months. Males are a pale grey in colour while the females and juvenile birds are brown and have long barred tails. In the 1900s the Hen Harrier population increased, in line with a decrease in the number of moorland gamekeepers hired to protect grouse populations.Īs one might expect, these grouse diving moors attract a lot of attention from Hen Harriers who are drawn in from the surrounding areas where they are often killed while hunting or have their nests destroyed by the gamekeepers. The Hen Harrier was very common right across the UK but its liking to free-range fowl brought it into direct conflict with humans which in turn made it one of the most persecuted. Buzzards have been reported in some towns but are more likely to be found near woodland, perched on top of a fence post, tall tree or fence post. BuzzardĪlthough widely spread across the UK, you are unlikely to come across one unless you or your neighbour own woodland, heath or farmland in the South East of England. Today the Buzzard can be found right across the UK, with the most significant population found in Scotland. This was blamed for a decline in Buzzard numbers right up until the 1960s, when the Buzzard population began to show increases again.īuzzard numbers continued to increase, and in the 1990s, the Buzzard population in the UK accelerated with the bird spreading across the South and South-East of England. Unfortunately, the disease Myxomatosis struck the UK around 1950, leading to a significant impact on one of the buzzard favourite food sources, the Rabbit. In the early 1900s, the Buzzard population in the UK reached its low before seeing a bit of growth. Early in the 1800s, the Buzzard could be found right across the UK, but by 1875 they had become quite a persecuted bird, so their numbers declined to a point where they were only found in Western England. Research suggests that the Buzzard underwent a resurgence after struggling initially. Here is a list of Birds of Prey found in England in the South and South-East As a result, the South of England does not see all the same birds of prey. Unlike the incredible natural habitats found in Scotland and Wales, the South and South-East of England are not blessed with the same quantity of hills and mountains. There are of course others but this guide looks at those that can be found in the South of England. Birds of Prey in the UK fall into a number of categories including Buzzards, Hawks, Falcons, Kites and Osprey.

Uk birds of prey list