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Storks Return: Wild Nesting in UK After 600 Years!
29 Jun
Summary
- Rewilded storks are nesting in a Surrey industrial estate.
- The birds were reintroduced to southeast England in 2016.
- This marks a significant step towards re-establishing storks in the UK.
A significant achievement has been noted in the rewilding efforts to bring white storks back to the UK. A group of these birds, originally born and raised at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex, have been observed nesting in an industrial area near Guildford, Surrey.
The Knepp Estate began its reintroduction program in 2016, aiming to re-establish the migratory birds in southeast England. The hope is that they will return to the UK for the first time in six centuries. The storks spotted in Guildford are young and expected to begin breeding around four years old. They are believed to be establishing a "practice nest" and are predicted to migrate this winter before attempting to rear chicks next spring.
This development is considered a major milestone by the White Stork Project. Some birds in the Guildford group have previously migrated as far as North Africa. Of the ten birds observed, eight are from the project, while two were identified as wild birds due to the absence of identification rings. Enthusiasts are reportedly eager to observe the nest, as the storks are actively spreading throughout the South East region.
