German red kites fly into Scotland

Red kites are being reintroduced to Scotland

A batch of young red kite birds recovered in a German police operation has been sent to Scotland to help boost numbers.

It has been a record year for poisonings and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has blamed Scotland's sporting estates for the increase.

Red kites are now being reintroduced to Scotland as part of a 10-year project costing £250,000.

A number of red kites have been poisoned

The birds have settled and have been breeding in many parts of the country, but they are still struggling against persecution.

Seven have already been lost to poisoning this year.

Now the German authorities want to help out by sending over 13 young kites which were recovered from a man convicted of wildlife crimes.

The birds are being taken to a quarantine centre near Stirling.

Official programme

And are eventually destined for Dumfries and Galloway as part of the reintroduction programme.

German birds have been sent to Scotland before, as part of the official programme.

An RSPB spokesman said there was a renewed determination that no more of kites be killed.

The spokesman laid blame for the deaths with Scotland's sporting estates, saying that none of the birds had been killed or harmed in the south west of England.