69-749: The Hatterrall Ridge (sometimes spelled Hatterall ) is a ridge in the Black Mountains forming the border between Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales and Herefordshire in England . The ridge is about 10 miles (16 km) long, and is followed by the Offa's Dyke Path . On the west side of the ridge is the Vale of Ewyas , and on the east side is the Olchon Valley and Black Hill . The western side of
138-525: A detested kite , and he wrote "when the kite builds, look to your lesser linen" in reference to them stealing washing hung out to dry in the nesting season. In the mid-15th century, King James II of Scotland decreed that they should be "killed wherever possible", but they remained protected in England and Wales for the next 100 years as they kept the streets free of carrion and rotting food. Under Tudor "vermin laws" many creatures were seen as competitors for
207-460: A monophyletic lineage among or next to red kites. This interpretation is problematic: mtDNA analysis is susceptible to hybridization events, the evolutionary history of the Cape Verde population is not known, and the genetic relationship of red kites is confusing, with geographical proximity being no indicator of genetic relatedness and the overall genetic similarity high, perhaps indicating
276-562: A relict species. Given the morphological distinctness of the Cape Verde birds and that the Cape Verde population was isolated from other populations of red kites, it cannot be conclusively resolved as to whether the Cape Verde population was not a distinct subspecies (as M. migrans fasciicauda ) or even a species that frequently absorbed stragglers from the migrating European populations into its gene pool. The Cape Verde population became effectively extinct since 2000, all surviving birds being hybrids with black kites . The English word "kite"
345-549: A trig point , signposts , and stone cairns . There are many footpaths and bridleways which cross the main path along the back of the ridge, which give access both to the Vale of Ewyas to the west and the Olchon valley to the east. This enables many circular routes to be planned and used by ramblers. The moorland has been designated open access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 , so that deviation from
414-539: A combination of dunes , lakes and river sediments. The familiar red colour of these rocks arises from the presence of iron oxide but not all the Old Red Sandstone is red or sandstone — the sequence also includes conglomerates , mudstones , siltstones and thin limestones and colours can range from grey and green through red to purple. The area lay at the margins of the British ice-sheet during
483-632: A group of hills spread across parts of Powys and Monmouthshire in southeast Wales , and extending across the England–Wales border into Herefordshire . They are the easternmost of the four ranges of hills that comprise the Brecon Beacons (or Bannau Brycheiniog) national park , and are frequently confused with the westernmost, which is known as the Black Mountain . The Black Mountains may be roughly defined as those hills contained within
552-566: A more distinctive peak shape. On the eastern ridge, the 703 metres (2,306 ft) peak of Black Mountain stands on the Wales-England border, and is the highest point in England south of Great Whernside in Yorkshire. Other summits towards the northern end are Hay Bluff ( Welsh : Penybegwn ), 677 metres (2,221 ft), Rhos Dirion , 713 metres (2,339 ft) and Lord Hereford's Knob or Twmpa , 690 metres (2,264 ft). Towards
621-455: A number of characteristics: These differences hold throughout most of the first year of a bird's life. Usually red kites first breed when they are two years old, although exceptionally they can successfully breed when they are only one year old. They are monogamous and the pair-bond in resident populations is probably maintained during the winter, particularly when the pair remain on their breeding territory. For migrant populations
690-500: A number of incidents of red kites and other raptors being targeted by wildlife criminals. On occasion, red kites may directly steal food from humans. One such occurrence took place in Marlow , Buckinghamshire (a town near a major reintroduction site for the species in the UK in the nearby village of Stokenchurch ), in which red kites swooped down to steal sandwiches from people in one of
759-773: A site in north Scotland and four Swedish and one Welsh bird in Buckinghamshire . Altogether, 93 birds of Swedish and Spanish origin were released at each of the sites. In the second stage of reintroduction in 1995 and 1996, further birds were brought from Germany to populate areas of Dumfries and Galloway . Between 2004 and 2006, 94 birds were brought from the Chilterns and introduced into the Derwent Valley in north East England. In Northern Ireland, 80 birds from wild stock in Wales were released between 2008 and 2010, and
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#1732797294494828-594: A source of walling and roofing stone for local use. In places the thin Devonian limestones were worked to feed limekilns for the production of lime for agricultural use and in buildings. Old Red Sandstone has also frequently been used in buildings in Herefordshire , Monmouthshire and the former Brecknockshire (now south Powys) of south Wales. The area is popular for hillwalkers , mountainbikers and horseriders . The Offa's Dyke National Trail runs along
897-409: A steeper path leads to the summit from near the former youth hostel in the Vale of Ewyas to the west. The path is well marked and surfaced over most of its length along the ridge, with stone pavements across very wet parts. The summit is unmarked and, because of the very shallow gradients along the summit ridge, virtually impossible to determine on site. However, there are several landmarks , such as
966-566: A stronghold for the red kite. Thirty Spanish birds were introduced into Rockingham Forest near Corby in 2000, and by 2010, the RSPB estimated that over 200 chicks had been reared from the initial release. So successful has the reintroduction been that 30 chicks have been transported from Rockingham Forest for release in Cumbria . From the Chilterns they have spread as far east as Essex and can be seen over Harlow . By 2021 they had spread along
1035-594: A triangle defined by the towns of Abergavenny in the southeast, Hay-on-Wye in the north and the village of Llangors in the west. Other gateway towns to the Black Mountains include Talgarth and Crickhowell . The range of hills is well known to walkers and ramblers for the ease of access and views from the many ridge trails, such as that on the Black Hill in Herefordshire, at the eastern edge of
1104-504: A white ground and red-brown spots. The average size is 57 mm × 45 mm (2.2 in × 1.8 in) with a calculated weight of 63 g (2.2 oz). In Britain and central Europe, laying begins at the end of March but in the Mediterranean area laying begins in early March. The eggs are mainly incubated by the female, but the male will relieve her for short periods while she feeds. The male will also bring food for
1173-1035: Is 25 years and 8 months for a ringed bird in Germany. The BTO longevity record for Britain and Ireland is also 25 years and 8 months for a bird found dead in Buckinghamshire in 2018. In 2023, one of the first red kites reintroduced to the UK was found injured in Oxfordshire and later died, aged 29. The red kites are generalist scavengers and predators. Their diet consists mainly of carrions of large domestic animals such as sheep and pigs , roadkills, and shored fish. They also take small mammals such as mice , voles , shrews , stoats , young hares and rabbits . Live birds are also taken, especially young or wounded, such as crows , doves , starlings , thrushes , larks , gulls , and waterfowls . Occasionally reptiles and amphibians are taken and invertebrates such as earthworms form an important part of
1242-642: Is Gadair Fawr. Your outside finger is Allt Mawr, from Llysiau to Cerrig Calch and its nail is Crug Hywel. On the high plateau of the back of your hand are Twyn y Llech and Twmpa, Rhos Dirion, Waun Fach and Y Das. You hold their shapes and their names. The Black Mountains are composed almost exclusively of rocks assigned to the Old Red Sandstone and dating from the Devonian period. This thick sedimentary sequence comprises sandstones , mudstones , siltstones and numerous thin limestones . The exception
1311-508: Is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae , which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles , buzzards , and harriers . The species currently breeds only in Europe, though it formerly also bred in west Asia and northwest Africa . Historically, it was only resident in the milder parts of its range in western Europe and northwestern Africa, whereas all or most red kites in northern mainland Europe wintered to
1380-513: Is from the Old English cyta which is of unknown origin. A kite is mentioned by Geoffrey Chaucer in his Knight's Tale . The early 15th century Hengwrt manuscript contains the lines: "Ther cam a kyte, whil þt they were so wrothe That bar awey the boon bitwix hem bothe." The first recorded use of the word "kite" for a toy that is attached to a length of string and flown in the air dates from
1449-416: Is of Devonian age. The regular sequence of the strata can often be seen in quarries, or in the escarpments on either side of the ridge. It is most obvious in the exposures created by the local landslips , where selective erosion of weak strata has destabilized the rocks above. Numerous small quarries adorn its slopes, though all are now abandoned. The shape of the Vale of Ewyas to the south and west of
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#17327972944941518-533: Is the summit area of Pen Cerrig-calch where a thin sequence of Carboniferous rocks occur, an outlier of the more extensive outcrop to the south of the Usk valley. The lower slopes of these hills are formed from the mudstone-rich St Maughans beds at the top of which lies a calcrete – a discontinuous limestone band known as the Ffynnon Limestone. Above this are the sandstone-dominated Senni Beds which form
1587-456: Is traditionally Y Mynydd Du ('the black mountain') though in more recent times the name Y Mynyddoedd Duon ('the black mountains') has been used, being a retranslation from the English. The highest mountain in the group is Waun Fach whose heavily eroded peat summit plateau attains a height of 811 metres (2,661 ft). Its secondary summit Pen y Gadair Fawr at 800 metres (2,625 ft) has
1656-672: The Kullaberg Nature Preserve near Mölle . In Switzerland, they are a common sight in all rural areas, excluding the Alps and its foothills. Some of the best places to see them in the United Kingdom are Gigrin Farm near Rhayader , mid Wales , where hundreds are fed by the local farmer as a tourist attraction, a Red Kite Feeding Station at Llanddeusant in the Brecon Beacons , visited daily by over 50 birds, and
1725-424: The massif . The range includes the highest public road in Wales at Gospel Pass , and the highest point in southern England at Black Mountain . In his description of a Blak Montayne , the antiquarian John Leland refers to a massif extending between Carmarthen and Monmouth i.e. what is now considered to be the Brecon Beacons in the wider modern sense of that term, thus including the Black Mountain far to
1794-445: The 17th century. Red kites are 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) long with a 175–195 cm (69–77 in) wingspan; males weigh 800–1,200 g (28–42 oz), and females 1,000–1,300 g (35–46 oz). It is an elegant bird, soaring on long wings held at a dihedral , and long forked tail, twisting as it changes direction. The body, upper tail and wing coverts are rufous . The white primary flight feathers contrast with
1863-527: The 19th century or earlier; the only non-European breeding population in recent decades was in Morocco where the last known pair was in 2004. Today it breeds from Portugal and Spain, through the central part of the continent east to European Russia , north to southern Scandinavia , Latvia and the United Kingdom, and south to southern Italy; few if any breeders remain in Balkan . Most red kites that breed in
1932-550: The Black Mountains. There are several villages and hamlets in this area. The Skirrid Mountain Inn has been claimed as the oldest public house in Wales and mentioned in records from AD 1100. Antiquities include Llanthony Priory in the Vale of Ewyas , ruined Craswall Priory , Tretower Castle , Tretower Court , the Iron Age hill fort of Crug Hywel , and the remains of Castell Dinas , an 11th to 13th century castle built on
2001-643: The Bwlch Nant yr Arian forest visitor centre in Ceredigion where the rare leucistic variant can be seen. In England, the Oxfordshire part of the Chilterns has many red kites, especially near Henley-on-Thames and Watlington , where they were introduced on John Paul Getty 's estate. Red Kites are also becoming common in Buckinghamshire , often being seen near Stokenchurch , where a population
2070-610: The Environment, Heritage and Local Government Dick Roche announced an agreement to bring at least 100 birds from Wales to restock the population as part of a five-year programme in the Wicklow Mountains , similar to the earlier golden eagle reintroduction programme. On 19 July 2007, the first 30 red kites were released in County Wicklow . On 22 May 2010, two newly hatched red kite chicks were discovered in
2139-948: The M4 as far as the Cotswold Edge overlooking the Severn near Bristol. A sighting of the first red kite in London for 150 years was reported in The Independent newspaper in January 2006 and in June of that year, the UK-based Northern Kites Project reported that kites had bred in the Derwent Valley in and around Rowlands Gill , Tyne and Wear for the first time since the re-introduction. In 1999,
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2208-600: The UK and the final re-introduction phase in England. The stated aims of the Grizedale project were: As of July 2011, non-breeding birds are regularly seen in all parts of Britain, and the number of breeding pairs is too large for the RSPB to continue to survey them on an annual basis. Red kites were extinct in Ireland by the middle 19th century due to persecution, poisoning and woodland clearance. In May 2007, Minister for
2277-544: The Wicklow Mountains, bringing the number of chicks hatched since reintroduction to seven. The following figures (mostly estimates) have been collated from various sources. They cover most of the countries in which red kites are believed to have bred. One of the best places to see the red kite in Scandinavia is Scania in southern Sweden. It may be observed in one of its breeding locations such as
2346-597: The black kite in captivity where both species were kept together, and in the wild on the Cape Verde Islands and infrequently in other places. The red kites on the Cape Verde Islands are (or rather were) quite distinct in morphology , being somewhat intermediate with black kites. The question whether the Cape Verde kite should be considered a distinct species ( Milvus fasciicauda ) or a red kite subspecies has not been settled. A mitochondrial DNA study on museum specimens suggested that Cape Verde birds did not form
2415-493: The black wing tips and dark secondaries. Apart from the weight difference, the sexes are similar, but juveniles have a buff breast and belly. Its call is a thin piping sound, similar to but less mewling than the common buzzard . There is a rare white leucistic form accounting for approximately 1% of hatchlings in the Welsh population, but this variation confers a disadvantage in the survival stakes. Adults differ from juveniles in
2484-699: The border between England and Wales, whilst both the Beacons Way and the Marches Way also pass through the Black Mountains. The Three Rivers Ride runs along the northern slopes of the massif. The range's northern escarpment offers opportunities for gliding , at places like the Black Mountains Gliding Club in Talgarth , hang gliding and paragliding as winds are forced up and over the hills. Exercise Long Reach takes place in
2553-512: The diet, especially in spring . In some parts of the United Kingdom, red kites are also deliberately fed in domestic gardens , explaining the presence of red kites in urban areas. Here, up to 5% of householders have provided supplementary food for red kites, with chicken the predominant meat provided. As scavengers, red kites are particularly susceptible to poisoning. Illegal poison baits set for foxes or crows are indiscriminate and kill protected birds and other animals. There have also been
2622-551: The eastern side of the Hatterrall ridge west of Longtown . Another, at the northern end of the Skirrid just to the east of Abergavenny , is perhaps most commonly seen, and the section of the mountain shows the landslip prominently when seen from the north, but is also visible from the south such is the scale of the feature. Scattered around the range are innumerable small quarries, virtually all of which now lie abandoned, once
2691-419: The female. Incubation starts as soon as the first egg is laid. Each egg hatches after 31 to 32 days but as they hatch asynchronously a clutch of three eggs requires 38 days of incubation. The chicks are cared for by both parents. The female broods them for the first 14 days while the male brings food to the nest which the female feeds to the chicks. Later both parents bring items of food which are placed in
2760-513: The female. The nest is lined with grass and sometimes also with sheep's wool. Unlike the black kite, no greenery is added to the nest. Both sexes continue to add material to the nest during the incubation and nestling periods. Nests vary greatly in size and can become large when the same nest is occupied for several seasons. The eggs are laid at three-day intervals. The clutch is usually between one and three eggs but four and even five eggs have occasionally been recorded. The eggs are non-glossy with
2829-496: The fidelity to a particular nesting site means that the pair-bond is likely to be renewed each breeding season. The nest is normally placed in a fork of a large hardwood tree at a height of between 12 and 15 m (39 and 49 ft) above the ground. A pair will sometimes use a nest from the previous year and can occasionally occupy an old nest of the common buzzard . The nest is built by both sexes. The male brings dead twigs 30–50 cm (12–20 in) in length which are placed by
Hatterrall Ridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
2898-581: The first successful breeding was recorded in 2010. The reintroductions in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have been a success. Between 1989 and 1993, 90 birds were released there and by 2002, 139 pairs were breeding. They can commonly be seen taking advantage of thermals from the M40 motorway . Another successful reintroduction has been in Northamptonshire , which has become
2967-493: The hills all year round. 51°57′N 3°6′W / 51.950°N 3.100°W / 51.950; -3.100 The controversial artist and typeface designer Eric Gill lived at Capel-y-ffin between 1924 and 1928. The artist and poet David Jones worked in the area during the same period. Books set in or around the Black Mountains include: Red kite Falco milvus Linnaeus, 1758 Milvus regalis ( Pall. , 1811) The red kite ( Milvus milvus )
3036-456: The ice ages; these hills were shaped by ice from a source in mid-Wales rather than generating any major glaciers of their own. Non-local rock fragments within the glacial till show that Wye valley ice penetrated the Rhiangoll valley from the north, moving over the low col at Pengenffordd. No such evidence has been found in the Vale of Ewyas though the profile of this valley strongly suggests
3105-588: The last two countries, those populations remain well below their historical peaks. In contrast, red kite populations are increasing in parts of northern Europe, such as Denmark, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The red kite is the official landscape bird of the Swedish province of Scania , and depicted on the coat of arms of the municipality of Tomelilla . In the United Kingdom, red kites were ubiquitous scavengers that lived on carrion and rubbish. Shakespeare's King Lear describes his daughter Goneril as
3174-461: The main mass of the hill. The ridge to the southwest ends abruptly at the sheer cliff known as the Darren below which is a considerable landslide area extending south to the hamlet of Cwmyoy with its misshapen church. The highest point on the ridge is Black Mountain (elevation 2306 feet or 703 m), near its northern end. Hatterrall Hill (elevation 1742 feet or 531 m) is near the southern end of
3243-437: The nest to allow the chicks to feed themselves. The nestlings begin climbing onto branches around their nest from 45 days but they rarely fledge before 48–50 days and sometimes not until they are 60–70 days of age. The young spend a further 15–20 days in the neighbourhood of the nest being fed by their parents. Only a single brood is raised each year but if the eggs are lost the female will relay. The maximum age recorded
3312-444: The northeast, but seem to be stable in southwest and central France and Corsica . Populations elsewhere are stable or undergoing increases. In Sweden, the species has increased from 30 to 50 pairs in the 1970s to 1,200 breeding pairs in 2003 and has continued growing. In Switzerland, populations have been increasing since the 1990s. Red kites have declined in their traditional strongholds of Spain, France and Germany; while now stable in
3381-474: The northern European mainland used to move south or west in winter, typically wintering in Spain and other parts of western Europe with a mild climate, as well as northwestern Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) and Turkey. In recent decades, an increasing number of red kites from the northern European mainland have stayed in the region year-round. The populations in Germany (which alone is home to almost half of
3450-580: The northern foothills of the Harz Mountains (the most densely populated part of its range) suffered an estimated 50% decline from 1991 to 2001. In Spain, the species showed an overall decline in breeding population of up to 43% for the period 1994 to 2001–02, and surveys of wintering birds in 2003–04 suggest a similarly large decline in core wintering areas. The Balearic Islands population has declined from 41 to 47 breeding pairs in 1993 to just 10 in 2003. In France, breeding populations have decreased in
3519-451: The other way, south, to join the fifth river, now called Grwyne Fechan, that has been flowing between your third and your outside finger. The sixth river, now called Rhiangoll, flows at the edge of your outside finger. This is the hand of the Black Mountains, the shape first learned. Your thumb is Crib y Gath. Your first finger is Curum and Hateral. Your second finger is Ffawyddog, with Tal y Cefn and Bal Mawr at its knuckles. Your third finger
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#17327972944943588-478: The paths is allowed. The ground is peaty and often wet even in good weather, especially on the highest ground. The ridge is common land grazed by sheep, ponies and cattle. The ridge is often used for paragliding and hang gliding when the wind is from the east or east-north-east. The hill is composed of sedimentary sandstones and mudstones of the Senni Formation of the Old Red Sandstone which
3657-504: The plateau towards your wrist. The first river, now called Mynwy, flows at the outside edge of your thumb. The second river, now called Olchon, flows between your thumb and the first finger, to join the Mynwy at the top of your thumb. The third river, now called Honddu, flows between your first and second fingers and then curves to join the Mynwy. The fourth river, now called Grwyne Fawr, flows between your second and third fingers and then curves
3726-622: The presence of a major glacier. The valleys of the Grwyne Fawr and Grwyne Fechan were probably ice-free during the last ice age. One result of the over-steepening of valley sides by glacial action is the suite of landslips affecting the range, notably in the Vale of Ewyas. The most impressive of all is that at Darren and Cwmyoy. Another impressive set of landslip forms can be seen at Black Darren and Red Darren ('Darren' signifies 'edge' in Welsh) on
3795-541: The produce of the countryside and bounties were paid by the parish for their carcasses. By the 20th century, the breeding population was restricted to a handful of pairs in South Wales , but recently the Welsh population has been supplemented by re-introductions in England and Scotland. In 2004, from 375 occupied territories identified, at least 216 pairs were thought to have hatched eggs and 200 pairs reared at least 286 young. In 1989, six Swedish birds were released at
3864-804: The red kite was named 'Bird of the Century' by the British Trust for Ornithology . According to the Welsh Kite Trust, it has been voted "Wales's favourite bird". In June 2010, the Forestry Commission North West England announced a three-year project to release 90 red kites in Grizedale Forest , Cumbria under a special licence issued by Natural England . The Grizedale programme was the ninth reintroduction of red kites into different regions of
3933-502: The ridge falls within the Brecon Beacons National Park . Much of the northern part of the ridge is a broad whaleback, but it narrows down considerably further south, and especially near to Llanthony Priory in the Vale of Ewyas to the west of the mountain. There is a large and prominent landslip on the eastern side of the mountain here, known as Black Darren, where a large slice of the rocks has fallen away from
4002-623: The ridge strongly suggests that it was occupied by a glacier during at least one ice age , though not perhaps during the last ice age . The plateau was probably ice-free. The ridge hosts many different species of bird, including the red kite , common buzzard , the raven and carrion crow among the larger birds. Rabbits are common on the lower slopes, as are foxes and badgers . 51°59′02″N 3°04′05″W / 51.984°N 3.068°W / 51.984; -3.068 Black Mountains, Wales The Black Mountains ( Welsh : Y Mynydd Du or sometimes Y Mynyddoedd Duon ) are
4071-449: The ridge. The path is surrounded by peat and often wet underfoot off the footpath, which itself has a dry stony surface. Lower parts of the ridge towards then south end are grass and heath covered, and generally drier than the high moorland . Since much of the ridge is unfenced common land , Welsh ponies and sheep can graze over large parts of the mountain. Offa's Dyke Path passes along the ridge, more or less from south to north, while
4140-696: The site of an Iron Age hillfort between Talgarth and Crickhowell . Cwmyoy and Partrishow churches are also located nearby. The youth hostel at Capel-y-ffin closed in late 2007. The town of books or Hay-on-Wye lies just to the north. It was the first booktown to be established, and there are more than two dozen second-hand bookshops . Settlements in and around the Black Mountains include Hay-on-Wye, Llangors , Talgarth, Crickhowell, Cwmdu , each in Powys, Abergavenny in Monmouthshire and Longtown in Herefordshire. Many act as bases for accessing
4209-412: The south and west, some also reaching western Asia, but an increasing number of northern birds now remain in that region year-round. Vagrants have reached north to Finland and south to Israel , Libya and Gambia . The red kite was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Falco milvus . The word milvus
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#17327972944944278-589: The south of the range are the more independent summits of Crug Mawr at 550 metres (1,804 ft), Pen Allt-mawr at 719 metres (2,359 ft) and the 701 metres (2,300 ft) peak of Pen Cerrig-calch which rises prominently above Crickhowell in the Usk Valley. Outlying summits, all of which are classed as Marilyns , include the Sugar Loaf ( Welsh : Pen-y-Fal ), Mynydd Troed and Mynydd Llangorse . The lower and separate hills of Allt yr Esgair , Myarth , Bryn Arw and Ysgyryd Fawr (also known as 'The Skirrid', Skyrrid or 'Holy Mountain') are scattered along
4347-451: The southern fringe of the Black Mountains. In his work People of the Black Mountains , Raymond Williams described the Black Mountains thus: See this layered sandstone in the short mountain grass. Place your right hand on it, palm downward. See where the summer sun rises and where it stands at noon. Direct your index finger midway between them. Spread your fingers, not widely. You now hold this place in your hand. The six rivers rise in
4416-628: The town's parks. In another incident, a red kite was reported as having stolen a wasabi-coated pea from a spectator at a cricket match in Wormsley, Buckinghamshire. Red kites inhabit broadleaf woodlands, pastures, mixed farmland, valleys and wetland edges, up to at least 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) elevation. They are native to the western Palearctic , with all of the currently known 32,200–37,700 breeding pairs being in Europe. There also used to be breeding populations in western Asia (northern Iran, Syria and Turkey) and northwestern Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia), but most of these were extirpated in
4485-407: The upper reaches of much of the range. Higher again are the Brownstones which form the summit areas of the central and southern parts of the range. The Old Red Sandstone extends back into the late Silurian period and forward into the earliest part of the Carboniferous period . The body of rock , or facies , is dominated by alluvial sediments and conglomerates at its base, and progresses to
4554-539: The west and the intervening high ground. There is a suggestion too that the names Hatterrall Hill and Mynydd y Gader may also once have been used to apply to the entire range of the Black Mountains though the former later became confined to the vicinity of its eastern ridge. The latter is now recognised in Pen y Gader-fawr ( Pen y Gadair Fawr ) and Gader Fawr (Gadair Fawr); names applied to the hill at SO 229288. Cadair, mutated to 'gadair' and anglicised as 'gader', means 'seat' or 'chair' in Welsh. The Welsh name for these hills
4623-427: The wintering ranges in France and Spain, and changes in agricultural practices causing a reduction in food resources. Other threats include electrocution, hunting and trapping, deforestation, egg-collection (on a local scale) and possibly competition with the generally more successful black kite M. migrans . German populations declined by 25%–30% between 1991 and 1997, but have remained stable since. The populations of
4692-429: The world's breeding pairs), France and Spain declined between 1990 and 2000, and overall the species declined by almost 20% over those ten years. Populations in Germany and France have subsequently stabilised, and because of growth in other countries, the overall population is now increasing. The main threats to red kites are poisoning, through illegal direct poisoning and indirect poisoning from pesticides, particularly in
4761-456: Was the Latin name for the bird. In 1799 the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède moved the species to the genus Milvus creating the tautonym . Two subspecies are recognised: The subspecies M. m. fasciicauda is almost certainly extinct. The genus Milvus contains two other species: the black kite ( M. migrans ) and the yellow-billed kite ( M. aegyptius ). The red kite has been known to successfully hybridize with
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