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Stonor has been
the home to many Red Kites (Milvus milvus), one
of Britain's rarest and most beautiful birds, since
their successful reintroduction into England from
a secret location nearby. You are almost guaranteed
to be able to see between five and twenty five Red
Kites at any one time soaring over the park at Stonor.
Sometimes over fifty are spotted circling the skies
at the same time.
This
magnificently graceful bird is unmistakable with
its reddish-brown body, angled wings and deeply
forked tail. It was saved from national extinction
by one of the world's longest running protection
programmes, and has now also been successfully
re-introduced to Wales and Scotland. It is an
Amber List species because of its historical decline.
Stonor is also home to Buzzards
(Buteo buteo), Green Woodpeckers (Picus viridis),
several different species of Owl and many other
birds that all enjoy the undisturbed peace and
tranquility of the ancient park which has never
been cultivated. Migrating Hoopoes have even been
seen here.
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