CONSERVATION groups say they are delighted by the return of a rare bird of prey to the North-East for the first time in two centuries.

It was confirmed at the weekend that red kites are nesting in the region for the first time in 200 years, after a successful project to reintroduce the species during the past two years.

At least two pairs of red kites have built nests this spring and, if successful, the first chicks could be born in the region since the reign of George III.

Red kites were hunted to extinction in the UK apart from a small pocket in central Wales.

Through protection, the Welsh colony grew to about 350 pairs, and in a bid to reintroduce them to the North-East, 60 have been released since 2004 in the Derwent Valley, in west Gateshead and north-west Durham, as part of the Northern Kites project.

More birds are to be released this summer to help the Derwent Valley colony become firmly established.

Project manager Keith Bowey said: "I'm absolutely delighted by this exciting and historic news.

"It is wonderful that kites are nesting at this early stage of the project and that they have chosen to settle so close to Gateshead.

"It will be a red-letter day if young kites fly from a North-East nest this spring, and this fabulous news bodes very well for the future of red kites in this region.

"I have no doubt that after an absence of around 200 years, these superb birds are back to stay."

The project team, made up of the RSPB and English Nature, working in partnership with Northumbrian Water, Gateshead Council, the National Trust and the Forestry Commission, is keeping the exact location of the nesting pairs a secret.

They have appealed for enthusiasts not to look for the birds and stress that UK law protects red kites and their nests. Red kites are among the larger birds of prey, with a wingspan of nearly two metres.

They are famed for their rusty red plumage, forked tail and long elegant wings.