Great Bustard Welfare: Reintroduction to the UK Wiltshire Downs

Great bustards are being reintroduced to Wiltshire after a 170-year absence, with welfare monitoring of individual birds central to programme success.

Key Facts

Great bustards were extinct in the UK from the 1840s due to hunting and agricultural change
The Great Bustard Group has released Russian birds in Wiltshire since 2004
The population has grown slowly to approximately 40-50 birds by 2026
Reintroduced birds face fox predation, power line collisions, and vehicle strikes
Females require undisturbed chalk grassland for nesting during the summer breeding season

Welfare Considerations

Reintroduced great bustards face welfare challenges during establishment in unfamiliar habitat. Fox predation causes welfare impacts through direct killing and the fear response of birds living in predator-rich environments. Power line collisions cause traumatic injury and death. Females nesting in crops face nest destruction by farming machinery. Individual welfare monitoring using satellite tracking enables rapid response to injured birds, while protective management around nesting females prevents nest destruction.

What You Can Do

Support the Great Bustard Group through donation and volunteering
Report great bustard sightings in Wiltshire to the project monitoring team
Advocate for power line marking in great bustard flight paths
Support traditional chalk grassland management benefiting bustard foraging habitat
Donate to conservation organisations working with Russian bustard source populations