Red Kite Facts
Red kites are medium-large birds of prey. They have been saved from extinction by a national protection programme, and successfully re-introduced in England and Scotland. They can often be seen hovering above motorways, as their main diet is carrion (flesh of dead animals). They also eat earthworms, and small mammals. They are surprisingly light, weighing less than a duck.
Red Kite Stories
One of Aesop's Fables is called "The Sick Kite". In the story, the ill kite asks its mother to pray for it at the temples. However, its mother replied that since the kite had stolen sacrificial animals from temples, the kite would not be able to receive any help. In ancient Egyptian mythology, the god Isis sometimes takes the form of a kite to bring the dead back to life.
Listen to a red kite here: