RED KITES (MILVUS MILVUS) HELPED BY NATURE LOVERS IN HARSH WINTER

A group of nature lovers in the city of Jaca (Spain) at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains are supplementing, or rather keeping from starvation, Red Kites (Milvus milvus) and other birds in a very harsh winter this year.

Their "Avian Restaurant" is open old day long. The first birds to arrive in the morning are European Robins (Erithacus rubecula), followed by Magpies (Pica pica), House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), Common Chaffiinches (Fringilla coelebs), Common Blackbirds (Turdus merula), Eurasian Collared Doves (Streptopelia decaocto), Crows (Corvus corone) and Ravens (Corvus corax). Sometimes Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) also come to eat at dawn.

Red Kites (Milvus milvus) come twice a day as well. Once in the morning (8-9 h) and again in the afternoon (14-17 h). When these come the other birds fly away making room for them (Video 1).

            Video 1. Red Kites (Milvus milvus) swooping down to catch some food at the avian restaurant.

House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), Great Tits (Parus major), Common Blackbirds (Turdus merula), Common Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) and others. We are studying them and later on we will present a short report.