‘Extinct’ Stork Spotted in UK After 600 Years
A white stork was recently spotted flying over Cheshire, England, marking an event not seen for generations. These birds have been extinct in England for 600 years, dating back to the time of Martin Luther’s reforms. However, they have been reintroduced and breeding in the country for several years due to conservation efforts.
The White Stork Project in southern England, supported by birds donated from the Warsaw Zoo, has played a key role in this reintroduction. The zoo’s storks had been rescued from accidents involving roads or powerlines.
Some of these storks are kept at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, and each year, their offspring are moved to the Knepp Estate and Wadhurst Park in Sussex. Here, they grow up in a natural environment, learning the skills needed to survive in the English countryside.
Cheshire is quite far from the Cotswolds and the Knepp Estate, where the reintroduction efforts are centered. “There are no plans to reintroduce them here in Cheshire, but it was great to see one this far north,” Banks added.
Despite their long absence in England, the white stork is classified as a species of least concern and can be found in regions such as Kenya, Palestine, Turkey, and Kazakhstan.
You can watch a live nest camera of a stork family at the Knepp Estate, courtesy of the White Stork Project, where juveniles can be seen competing for food brought by their parents.