Car strikes are the main cause of injuries to Red Kites. They get hit as they swoop down on road kill. Huge birds when you get up close aren't they?
They are. So beautiful in flight to. The way they use their tail as a rudder makes them so agile. Few birds of prey can match their agility. On a bright day, the way the sunlight catches their red and white colourings is quite stunning.
I asked as i was driving around a remote mountain road in Northern Italy on the way to Torino there was one in the road eating a dead kid and it took off ... I thought it was a beast
A little aside from the main thread. But I remember watching a documentary on the earth's most efficient predator. It was between a shark, a cheetah and a sparrow hawk. The sparrow hawk won easily.
Up until post #20 i honestly though you meant a kite flown by a kid or something...thats why i thought Beth was taking the p**s.....??!!
Missed that one mate. Quite amazing if true. The Sparrow hawk is a ruthless killer. They tend to rip off their prey's head as soon as possible. Also, if you ever see a circle of bird feathers on the ground, that's usually where a Sparrow hawk has decimated a pigeon!
