White storks could return to London under rewilding efforts
Members of the public are being asked to give their opinion on the potential return of white storks to London. The birds have been reintroduced to southern England, resulting in many sightings around Greater London in recent years.
Conservationists are now exploring the possibility of the return of the metre-tall white storks to London. The birds are known to survive and even thrive in urban environments elsewhere in Europe.
Citizen Zoo, a community-focused urban rewilding organisation, is conducting an appraisal on how to make the capital a “white stork-friendly city.” This includes habitat mapping, getting in touch with boroughs across London, and asking the public for their views on the birds’ return.
White storks vanished centuries ago as a result of hunting and a loss of their habitat. Since 2016, the white stork project in Sussex has hoped to establish new colonies of rehabilitated injured storks, hoping that they can become a “magnet” for wild birds visiting from mainland Europe. These were established in Knepp and Wadhurst Park and 2020 saw the first successful breeding.
In the forty years since the beginning of the project, the white stork numbered on 27 recorded animals across Greater London. But between 2016 and 2023, there were 472 sightings in the capital. The numbers have been increasing every year, according to conservationists.
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