The 2025 edition of the annual European operation to census wintering red kites will take place next January. The League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) and its partners are mobilizing in the Pyrenees.
On January 4 and 5, 2025, the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) launches its annual campaign to count red kites (Milvus milvus) on the Pyrenees, from the Basque Country to the Catalan Country and is looking for volunteers.
The arrival of winter marks the return of many red kites from the north-east of France and Europe to their winter quarters in Spain and France. Individuals from the south of France (notably in Auvergne, the Pyrenees and Corsica) and Spain remain on their territory throughout the year. At the first cold snap, red kites adopt gregarious behavior, grouping together in dormitories by dozens, even hundreds, to spend the night.
“Some roosts of this breeding population” remain in Aude and the Pyrénées-Orientales, explains Aurélie de Seynes, but “we are within the limits of the distribution area, the red kites seem to have switched to the side of Spain”.
“As winter approaches, this partial migratory species forms roosts in wooded areas and we take advantage of this time to count them and obtain an estimate of the world population”explains the Royal Milan coordinator at the LPO for the Pyrenees. “In fact, 90% of individuals of the species are present in seven European countries including Francee.”
The Pyrenees play a crucial role
The Pyrenees play a crucial role as a wintering stronghold for this species, endemic to Europe and threatened in France. In 2024, more than 9,800 individuals, or nearly 60% of the national population in winter, had been recorded simultaneously in these dormitories.
On the occasion of this census, which is part of a national action plan (PNA) in favor of red kites, 350 observers will be mobilized, from the Pyrénées-Atlantiques to the Pyrénées-Orientales, to inquire of the situation of 470 known points.
The red kite population has experienced significant declines in the past and faces many human-caused threats, such as poisoning, shooting, electrocution, and post-poisoning collisions. The census of wintering red kites is essential to assess the state of the population and guide conservation actions.
