KYOTO–Black kites, a bird of prey, have apparently found an easier target for food in central Kyoto: people eating outdoors.
The kites are not only swooping down and snatching food from people’s hands, but their sharp beaks and claws are also causing injuries.
Sightings of the avian species have been reported around the Kamogawa riverbank, the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden and other crowded zones.
Earlier this year, a sign urging visitors to beware of black kites was installed at five locations within the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden.
According to the garden’s management office, a child and parent were picnicking in the park last December, when a kite grabbed the child’s bread and left a scratch on the body.
“We often find black kites flying low these days,” said a management office representative. “We are particularly worried because many people enjoy bento and confectionery at the garden site.”
Operators of Kamogawa riverside restaurant decks, summer fixtures in Kyoto, are similarly on alert.
An eatery near the renowned Sanjo-Ohashi bridge said black kites appear in the sky above the shop in the evening, when it puts away the reed screens used to block sunlight during the day.
So far, bird thefts of meals have not been reported. However, customers occasionally feel frightened at the sight of kites flying too low.
“Our patrons may become unable to comfortably take delight in our dishes,” lamented the restaurant’s manager.
The Kamogawa river and the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden are only a few hundred meters apart.
Ritsuko Nishidai, who has long been monitoring wild birds by the Kamogawa river as a member of the Ornithological Society of Japan, said the situation was completely different decades ago.
“There were fewer black kites in the past than there are now,” Nishidai recalled. “They did not go after humans’ food at the time.”
Around 10 kites initially called Kamogawa home, but their number began rising during the 1990s.
Records kept by Nishidai reveal that 20 black kites were spotted in 1993 along the 1-kilometer strip between the Kojinbashi and Aoibashi bridges over the Kamogawa river.
Their number hovered between 50 and 70 from 1999 through 2015. It increased to more than 80 in 2016 and 2017 and reached 100 in 2018.
Only 50 kites have recently been spotted in the area, likely due to the reduced presence of people with food in the neighborhood following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Concerns remain that returning tourists may lead to a resurgence in the kite population.
Nishidai said the “boom in feeding black-headed gulls” decades ago may have brought kites to the area.
In the 1990s, kites generally stayed away from human food.
But visitors to Kamogawa started giving pieces of bread to gulls flying there in winter. Some individuals even showed up with bags full of baked goods.
Kites started to target the “leftovers,” eliminating the need for them to hunt for something to eat on their own.
During the early 2010s, black-headed gulls gradually disappeared above Kamogawa due to climate change, and the number of people coming to feed them also decreased.
The black kites then apparently took a more aggressive approach to gaining food.
“In the end, kites seem to have started looting people’s edible articles, since feeding became sparse,” Nishidai said.
She shared some tips for evading black kite attacks, noting the birds’ habit of approaching humans from behind for food.
She recommends sitting with your back to a wall or tree when eating. Holding an umbrella, or eating with two or more people facing each other, can also be effective, she added.
Nishidai said humans are ultimately responsible for the black kite attacks against them.
“The latest developments could spark discussions about the need for bird control,” she stressed. “This is unfortunate, even for the kites.”
Nishidai said: “I hope that people will learn that feeding animals is not beneficial for the creatures themselves. People should reflect on why this kind of thing is happening so they can eventually change their behavior.”
The natural bird and animal rescue center of the Kyoto City Zoo shares this sentiment.
The center said that although black kites rarely attack humans aggressively given their timid nature, those that have mastered stealing food from people will likely continue with this tactic.
Moreover, human foodstuffs are too rich in fat and salt for kites and may harm their health.
The rescue center advises people to avoid feeding the birds and to remain vigilant to prevent the kites from taking their food.
Black kites are also causing damage to sightseeing spots elsewhere.
Fujisawa city in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, has put up a sign on Enoshima island, warning the hordes of tourists there about potential injuries from aerial kite strikes.
AloJapan.com