Among the kites that will be released into the wild in Aspromonte National Park in the summer of 2025 will be five young specimens from Aragon, Spain. These are specimens that were born a few weeks ago in the La Alfranca Wildlife Recovery Center of the Government of Aragon, located not far from the city of Zaragoza. The facility, besides being a large and functional recovery center, is a pioneer in the captive breeding of the red kite, which was started in 2006.
The center, which is equipped with ad hoc facilities and equipment and at which specialized staff work, registered the birth of its 150th chick on 04/24/2025, a unique and extraordinary achievement, achieved thanks to a rigorous protocol involving pair management, artificial egg incubation and chick rearing. Since the first births, which date back to 2011, the center has gradually increased its commitment to captive breeding and is reaping the benefits.
Most of the kites born at La Alfranca have been released into the wild in Aragon while 33 individuals have been donated to other Spanish regions for restocking programs.
Thanks to the willingness of the Government of Aragon a maximum of 12 young will be donated in 2025 and 2026 to the LIFE MILVUS project.
The first five, which are still growing, will be transferred to Aspromonte National Park in June and then released into the wild after a short acclimatization period.
