Rewilded Storks Nest on Surrey Industrial Estate
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- Knepp Estate storks born and raised in West Sussex have been spotted nesting at an industrial estate near Guildford, Surrey — a step in a rewilding campaign launched in 2016 to reintroduce migrating storks to the UK after a roughly 600-year absence.
- Laura Vaughan-Hirsch, manager of the White Stork Project, called the nesting a "major milestone" and said the birds — which typically start breeding at four years old — appear to be building a "practice nest," with hopes they will rear chicks next spring.
- Eight of the 10 birds at the Guildford site are from the project, while two carry no rings, indicating they joined from the wild population.
- Birds from the group have previously migrated as far as North Africa and are expected to depart again this winter before returning to the nest.
- Stephen Casson, chair of the Surrey Bird Club, said enthusiasts "have to queue up to have a look at the nest," adding that the birds "are spreading their wings all over the South East."
Why it matters: With eight project-bred storks joined by two unringed wild birds at the Guildford site, the Knepp Estate's White Stork Project has produced its first confirmed nesting beyond the release zone — the clearest signal yet that a self-sustaining UK stork population could re-establish itself across south-east England if next spring's breeding attempt succeeds.
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