Wildlife

Wild Great Bustard UK Reintroduction

Great bustards were extinct in the UK for 170 years before reintroduction efforts in Wiltshire from 2004, with small populations establishing through sustained effort and welfare-centred management.

Key Facts

Great bustards are the world's heaviest flying birds, weighing up to 20 kg
The UK population is entirely derived from Russian birds translocated as chicks
Reintroduced birds have successfully bred naturally in Wiltshire since 2009
Car strikes and power line collisions are the primary mortality causes in the reintroduced population
The Great Bustard Group monitors and protects the population through sustained volunteer effort

Welfare Considerations

Great bustard welfare requires addressing collision mortality through power line marking and road awareness. Sustained monitoring protects individual birds in a very small, valuable population.

What You Can Do

Support the Great Bustard Group through donations or volunteering
Report great bustard sightings or casualties to monitoring organisations
Advocate for power line marking in great bustard ranging areas
Raise awareness of this remarkable conservation success story