🐾 Animal Welfare Hub

Key Facts

• White storks were extinct as breeding birds in the UK for over 600 years
• The Knepp Estate reintroduction program uses birds sourced from European conservation programs
• Storks require large open areas for foraging and tall trees or structures for nesting
• Self-sustaining breeding began at Knepp in 2020, with multiple nesting pairs established
• Supplementary feeding supports reintroduced birds through the critical first winters

Welfare Considerations

White stork reintroduction welfare requires careful management of the transition from captivity to wild conditions. Sourcing birds from conservation breeding programs provides animals with reduced disease risk and appropriate size and condition. Supplementary feeding through the critical first seasons supports welfare while birds establish local foraging knowledge. Nest platform installation provides nest sites in an environment that has lost traditional structures used by storks in continental Europe. Population welfare monitoring through color ring reading and nest camera monitoring tracks individual bird outcomes and identifies welfare problems.

What You Can Do

• Visit the Knepp Estate or other stork viewing sites to support the reintroduction
• Support White Stork Project conservation work through donation or membership
• Report white stork sightings anywhere in the UK to contribute to monitoring
• Advocate for rewilding initiatives that create conditions for stork welfare
• Learn about the ecology of rewilding projects and share knowledge with others