The red kite has been described as 'the most beautiful bird of prey in Britain'. The plumage is a wonderful mixture of black, chestnut, grey and reddish-brown and the underwings have an obvious white patch contrasting strongly with jet-black wingtips. In flight the red kite's most notable feature is the long, deeply forked tail. The wingtips are strongly 'fingered' and the bird's soaring flight is one of the most graceful sights in the British countryside.