Wildlife observers along the Sussex coast have been buzzing with excitement following a remarkable sighting of an uncommon raptor in the region.
Photographer Tadas Kaminskas, who operates his own photography business, managed to capture images of a red kite flying above Beachy Head near Eastbourne.
After sharing the footage online, Kaminskas confirmed this marked his first ever observation of the species at this particular location.
On social media, Kaminskas expressed that he had finally succeeded in photographing the unmistakable red kite as it glided over Beachy Head, adding that he felt extremely lucky to have witnessed it.
These medium-sized predators stand out due to their forked tail feathers and wing tips that spread out similarly to human fingers.
Their diet primarily comprises carcasses and soil-dwelling invertebrates.
Fellow social media users responded with delight to the reported sighting.
One commenter, Amy Tibbo, noted that despite walking over 50 kilometres throughout the Easter break and scanning the skies continuously, she failed to locate any, describing the experience as thoroughly disappointing.
Michael Howell simply described the bird as wonderful.
Another user, Andy Vine, offered congratulations to the photographer.
Further photographs taken by Kaminskas can be viewed on his TK Photography social media profile.
By the beginning of the twentieth century, persecution through shooting and nest raiding had caused red kites to vanish entirely from both England and Scotland.
Their subsequent resurgence constitutes one of Britain’s most striking conservation successes, initiated by a programme of releasing birds that began in July 1990.
Tony Juniper, who chairs Natural England, observed that red kites rank among the most striking raptors in Britain, boasting impressive feather colouring, and can be identified by their elegant soaring flight and distinctive whistling call.
Having been pushed to the brink of elimination through human persecution, they have staged an extraordinary revival across England during the past three decades.
The recovery project began in the Chilterns during July 1990, releasing 13 young birds that had been sourced from Spain.
The first successful nesting happened in 1992, and within four years, a minimum of 37 breeding pairs had become established in southern England.
The initiative was jointly undertaken by the Nature Conservancy Council (now Natural England), the RSPB, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Zoological Society London, and British Airways.
Jeff Knott, who serves as operations director for Central and Eastern England at the RSPB, noted that during the 1980s, anyone hoping to see a red kite had to travel specifically to a handful of locations.
Today, huge numbers of people encounter them as part of their everyday lives.
Within just a few decades, we have completely changed the fortunes of a species that was on the very edge of disappearing, with the United Kingdom now hosting approximately one tenth of the entire world population.
Research conducted in 2025 within the South Downs National Park revealed that populations of both red kites and buzzards have shown gentle expansion, with stable communities now existing in western parts of Sussex stretching from Midhurst through to the Havant area.