Experience the Majestic Red Kites of Mid Wales
If you’re looking for a truly unique wildlife experience in the United Kingdom, look no further than Gigrin Farm in Rhayader, Mid Wales. This isn’t just a picturesque farm; it’s one of the UK’s most successful red kite breeding and feeding stations, offering visitors an unforgettable spectacle of these magnificent birds of prey.
A Success Story in Conservation
The red kite, once persecuted to near extinction in England and Scotland, has seen a fantastic resurgence thanks to successful reintroduction programmes. Gigrin Farm has been a critical part of this effort since the 1990s, acting as a vital feeding station that helped re-establish the species in England and Wales.
The Daily Feeding Spectacle
The highlight of any visit is the daily feeding session. This event acts as a supplementary food source for the red kites, attracting dozens sometimes hundreds of birds to the site.
- Summer Feeding Time: 3:00 PM
- Winter Feeding Time: 2:00 PM
You can watch the action from various converted sheds, which now serve as viewing stands. Witness the breathtaking sight of the red kites sweeping down from the sky with incredible speed and grace to feed on the food laid out by the farmers.
The red kites aren’t the only visitors either keep an eye out for common ravens and common buzzards which are regularly drawn to the site during feeding time, adding to the spectacle.
A Photographer’s Paradise
For wildlife photographers, Gigrin Farm is arguably the best location in the UK to practice “bird in flight” photography. The farm provides several different photography hides, positioned at various elevations from low-level to quite high allowing you to capture diverse and detailed shots of the kites.
The proximity of the birds allows for stunning, close-up details of these stunning raptors as they wheel and dive. You can return multiple times and capture a completely new perspective each time, depending on which hide you choose.
For the lucky few, there is the chance of spotting the white leucistic red kite an incredibly rare colour variant caused by a genetic condition called leucism, which reduces pigmentation and gives the bird its striking pale white plumage. Sightings are very rare really makes Gigrin Farm one of the very few places in the world where you might capture one on camera.
Plan Your Visit
It’s a thrilling, fun, and educational place to visit. Not only do you get to witness a spectacular gathering of birds of prey, but you also support an operation that has been instrumental in the successful reintroduction and conservation of red kites into the UK. Make sure to add Gigrin Farm to your itinerary for an unforgettable Welsh wildlife encounter!
