Real Milan kites return to Iberian Peninsula after international effort
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Conservationists in Extremadura, Spain, successfully reintroduced the real Milan kite, a bird of prey, to the Iberian Peninsula by releasing 126 birds from England.
The organization AMUS led the LIFE Eurokite program, collaborating with groups in Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. In 2020, only two to three breeding pairs of the kite remained in the Sierra Suroeste region of Spain. The program has now established 11 breeding pairs, and seven chicks were born during the 2026 breeding season.
The kites are settling in areas of Spain and Portugal, including the Alentejo region of Portugal, where the species had been extinct as a breeding bird for over a decade. Five of the 11 pairs consist entirely of released birds, while the others combine released individuals with birds of unknown origin. AMUS believes the reintroduced kites are attracting other kites to the area, increasing genetic diversity and accelerating population growth.
They expect the population to continue expanding as birds released in 2024 and 2025 reach breeding age between 2027 and 2028. Although the LIFE Eurokite program ends in late 2026, AMUS will continue to monitor the birds using GPS and plans to launch an ecotourism program in 2027. Illegal poisoning and power lines remain threats to the kites’ survival.
