Hundreds of rare birds of prey return to Reading

A pair of red kites in a garden in Reading - with a wingspan of 1.75m Credit: Stuart Gray

More than 300 rare red kites are 'commuting' into Reading, Berkshire every day for food.

Research by the University of Reading shows that almost one in 20 households in the town – the equivalent of more than 4,300 homes – regularly feed red kites.

Many of those are putting out pieces of meat, particularly chicken, in order to attract red kites into their gardens.

The birds of prey almost went extinct in Britain until a recent successful reintroduction in 1989.

Almost half of households in the UK leave food out for birds - but usually peanuts or seed - rather than meat.

Feeding the birds meat is controversial Credit: Mark Fellowes

Feeding the red kites meat is controversial. Some conservation groups claim that leaving out food for the birds makes them dependent on human hand-outs and the birds may end up stealing food from picnics and barbecues.

Red kites were once a common sight over medieval towns, where they were welcomed as they helped keep the streets free of rotting carcasses of dead animals. But following centuries of persecution, only one or two pairs survived in Wales by the 1930s.