In the summer of 2026, 18 young red kites were released in the Aspromonte National Park.
Of these birds, ten were born in the wild in the Canton of Fribourg (Switzerland) and two in Corsica (France), while six were born in captivity in Spain and Italy.
The twelve birds from Switzerland and Corsica, which arrived at the park’s acclimatization aviaries on June 13, were released into the wild on July 9 along with a young red kite born at the Wildlife Recovery Center of the Lake S. Giuliano Reserve (MT). See previous news items from June 20 and July 15, 2026.
At the end of July, five red kites arrived from Aragon (Spain) that were born at the Centro de Recuperación de Fauna Silvestre La Alfranca (CRFS), thanks to the support of the Government of Aragon (GdA), which manages the facility and assists the PNA in handling the necessary authorization procedures for the transfer of the animals to Italy.
The Spanish center runs a highly successful captive breeding program coordinated by veterinarian María Cortés Benedé, which each year provides red kites for release into the wild in Aragon or other areas involved in reintroduction or repopulation programs.
The journey of the five red kites from Aragon included a rest stop at the CERM (Center for Endangered Birds of Prey) in Tuscany, where they were then picked up by the LIFE MILVUS project manager and transferred to Aspromonte.
There, on August 9, 2026, after a brief acclimatization period in an aviary, these birds were also released.
Red Kite on the feeder at the release center in the PNA
Red Kite Chicks in the CRFS in Aragon
