Some 600 years ago, the white stork went extinct in Britain — the victim of habitat loss and hunting —and was relegated to folklore; existing only in our imaginations as something that delivers babies.
Now, a new chapter in their story has been written: numbers are joyfully on the rise in southern England and Storrington in West Sussex has been proclaimed the UK’s first ‘European stork village’.
The work to reintroduce white storks back into the UK began in 2016 with the arrival of several non-flying birds from Warsaw, Poland. These were kept at Cotswold Wildlife Park and their eventual offspring sent to Knepp Estate in West Sussex, and Wadhurst Park, East Sussex, to establish their own colonies.
A stalk coming into land, with its legs ready to support it, looks like it's been photoshopped onto a sky.
According to The White Stork Project, the brains behind the project, ‘white storks live in colonies for safety in numbers and their failure to breed in the UK over the last few centuries is thought to be largely because there has been no nesting colony to provide security for visiting migrants.’ So, why Sussex? Well, the elegant birds are particularly associated with the area and, in particular, with Storrington whose emblem features a pair of white storks. What-is-more, the Saxons knew the village as ‘Estorchestone’ or ‘the abode of storks’. Together, Storrington and Knepp — the first major lowland rewilding project in England — have been designated the 16th ‘European Stork Village’ for precautions taken to limit the impact of habitat loss on the birds.
And early signs indicate that things are moving in the right direction. In 2024, a record-breaking 53 storks fledged from wild nests at Knepp and a further four from Wadhurst — mostly in ‘large, shaggy nests’, on top of ancient oaks. Three of those young came from a wild male hatched at Knepp in 2021, and spotted in Morocco and Spain before later returning to the Sussex site. A total of nine birds have been fitted with satellite tracking devices, and you can follow their journey, here.
Although not all of the birds embark on a migratory route around continental Europe, the ones that do face a perilous journey fraught with dangers such as power lines, busy roads, large, open stretches of water and a lack of food. The mortality rate can be as high as 90%.
‘Traditionally, storks are considered harbingers of hope, joy and rebirth,’ says The White Stork Project. ‘We hope their return to the UK will signal a transformation, a reconnection with nature that will enthuse and inspire others and help bring about the landscape restoration we so desperately need.’
-
A one-of-a-kind waterfront estate with two private beaches is for sale on the same storied American island that Jackie Kennedy, the Obamas and Princess Diana have all visitedBeach Farm on Martha’s Vineyard — a favourite summertime holiday destination with prominent American families — is a perfect melding of New England and Scandinavian design styles.
-
Snakes alive! Country Life Quiz of the Day, July 15, 2025Napoleon's downfall and two of James Bond's most memorable villains in Tuesday's quiz.
-
Five British gardens have a starring role on the New York Times's list of 25 must-see gardens — here are the ones they forgotMultiple British gardens have topped a New York Times list.
-
Beyond Royal Portrush: Castles, country houses and ancient towers in the other dimension of golf in IrelandRory McIlroy's history-making exploits and The Open arriving at Royal Portrush have made 2025 a banner year for Irish golf — but there's far more to golf on the island of Ireland than those headline-grabbers, as Toby Keel finds out.
-
14 ways to keep your dogs cool in the heat, by A-list dog trainer Ben RandallDogs can't regulate their body temperatures as well as humans can, so at this time of year they need your help keeping cool, whether you're on the road, out and about or leaving them with someone else while you go away.
-
The red kite is a soaraway success story, having escaped extinction to become a familiar sight in our skies againUnhurried in flight and with a sideline in stolen goods, the handsome red kite is the gentleman thief of the raptor world, writes Mark Cocker.
-
Brideshead Revisited (again): The 10 scene-stealing British country homes from film and televisionWhat do an enigmatic Caped Crusader, a sopping-wet Mr Darcy and Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell have in common? Believe it or not, British country houses.
-
Sophia Money-Coutts: Is it ever okay to throw your dog a birthday party?Sir Lewis Hamilton did it, so why not throw a birthday party for your canine companion, Sophia Money-Coutts asks.
-
Tuning in with the past: Monk music will ring out for the first time since the Dissolution after medieval manuscript is rediscoveredBuckland Abbey once thronged with monks who sang for hours every day. Now, some of their newly rediscovered medieval music will ring out once more.
-
'Never willing to pardon where I had a power to revenge’: The history of the duelling classSettling a dispute with swords, pistols and, if legend is to be believed, sausages and guitars, has long been a matter of honour even among modern-day rock stars, discovers John F. Mueller.
