Local to the town of Rhayader stands the Red Kite feeding centre where hundreds of Red Kites come to feed. The red kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. Watching these magnificent birds of prey feast will take your breath away.
We are a 200 acre family-run working farm, now famous for our Red Kite Feeding Centre. Hundreds of Red Kites feed here every day. It is a truly breathtaking spectacle which we hope you will come along and witness for yourself.
Feeding takes place at 2pm GMT (this changes to 3pm when the clocks change at the end of March, and reverts to 2pm at the end of October when the clocks revert to GMT).
The crows are the first to turn up in the trees around the feeding area; it is quite a noisy affair with the calls of jackdaws and carrion crows and the deep ‘cronking’ of ravens. Buzzards and red kites circle overhead; buzzards are far more vocal than kites, their powerful ‘mewing’ carrying a long way. As soon as the meat has been put out the crow family start emerging from the surrounding trees. As the first crows land amongst the meat the kites go on the offensive. Kites watch and wait their chance to furl their wings and dive in, skimming the ground to snatch a scrap before rising suddenly to escape the beaks of the angry crows.
The Red Kite Centre is located in the most beautiful countryside, in the heart of Mid Wales, overlooking both the Wye and Elan Valleys, and just half a mile from the market town of Rhayader.
We hope you come and see these majestic predators in action on the gorgeous Gigrin Farm