THE RED KITE'S YEAR. By Ian Carter and Dan Powell.

2019 1st edition. 8vo paperback (156 x 233mm). Ppxvi,159,ill. Colour illustrations and artist's notes by Dan Powell.

A splendidly illustrated description of the biology and ecology of the Red Kite as it re-establishes itself in its former range in England and Wales. Chapters include: January - winter food, coping with severe weather; February - first signs of spring, the pair-bond, courtship, male or female?; History of the kite in Britain; March - faithfulness to breeding sites, nest building and spacing; April - final touches to the nest, eggs and incubation, nest decoration, defence; The red kite reintroduction programme and some previous attempts; May - care of small chicks, food and foraging in the breeding season; June - the growing brood, independence, adoptions, measuring breeding success; Threats and problems - illegal persecution, accidental poisoning, egg collecting, collisions and accidents, power lines; August - fending for themselves, plumage differences, the annual moult, a lull in activity; September - wanderlust, the red kite as a migrant, use of new technology; To feed or not to feed - changes in legislation, red kite feeding stations, feeding in gardens; October - the communal roost, attendance patterns, the daily routine; November - the benefits of communal roosting, social interactions and play at roosts; December - a wildlife spectacle, the influence of weather on roosting behaviour; World status - Northern Europe, Northwest Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, the future.