Red Kite (Milvus milvus) – Gibraltar 1996

On September 30, 1996, the Gibraltar Post issued the official first day cover as local WWF cover in conjunction with the issuance of the WWF stamp series featured Milvus milvus ( Red Kite ). This local WWF cover depicted flight bird and have a specific post marked and logo of WWF inside.

The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae .The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa.It is a rare species which is resident in the milder parts of its range in western Europe and northwest Africa.

The Red Kite is an elegant bird, soaring with long wings held at a dihedral, and long forked tail twisting as it changes direction. The body, upper tail and wing coverts are rufous. The white primary flight feathers contrast with the black wing tips and dark secondary's.

The Red Kite's diet consists mainly of small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, young hares and rabbits. It also feeds on a wide variety of carrion including sheep carcasses and dead game birds. The Red  Kite inhabits broadleaf woodlands, valleys and wetland edges, to 800 m. It is endemic to the western Palearctic, with the European population of 19,000-25,000 pairs encompassing 95% of its global breeding range.