STICHTING LANDSCHAP OVERIJSSEL – RED KITE TRANSMITTER PROJECT

The red kite is a rare bird of prey that breeds mainly in the east of the Netherlands, such as in Overijssel, where almost a third of the population lives. It often breeds on estates and in quiet groves. Research shows that many red kites die prematurely. To properly map out the causes, , five young were tagged (removed from the nest by a tree climber, fitted with a transmitter and then replaced) in Junne, Heeten and Ootmarsum, with the help of Fonds 1999. This has determined the wanderings, migration patterns and terrain use after settling as a breeding bird. Unnatural failures, including falls, poisoning, and collisions with high-voltage cables, wind turbines and traffic, have also been registered via the transmitters. The research has made it clear that four birds died within a year. The transmitters made it possible to find those birds (including in France), which showed that (with a probability bordering on certainty) they were poisoned by pesticides. The results will be incorporated into a research report on measures to reduce increasing bird mortality in the Netherlands. One of the tagged birds is now wintering in Spain.