White Storks Return to London After 600 Years

A breeding colony of white storks will be reintroduced to London for the first time in 600 years as part of a major rewilding project in east London. The native birds, which were driven to extinction in Britain in the 1400s, are set to return to the capital from October next year.

Rewilding Project Planned for East London Park

The white storks will be introduced at Eastbrookend Country Park in Dagenham, making it the second publicly accessible white stork reintroduction project in the UK. The site will join an existing wild breeding programme in Sussex, which has helped pave the way for the birds’ return.

As part of the wider nature recovery scheme, beavers will also be released at Eastbrookend Country Park in March 2027. Beavers were first reintroduced to London in 2023 at a nature reserve in Greenford, Ealing, marking their return to the capital after centuries of absence.

The east London rewilding project has received £500,000 in funding from the Mayor of London’s Green Roots Fund, Barking and Dagenham Council, and the London Wildlife Trust. The investment aims to support habitat restoration and biodiversity recovery in the capital.

Conservation Groups Welcome Nature Recovery Plans

Sam Davenport, Director of Nature Recovery at the London Wildlife Trust, said the return of white storks and beavers could inspire a more ambitious approach to nature recovery across London.

Dominic Twomey, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said the reintroduction of white storks builds on the success of the established breeding project in Sussex.

Sir Sadiq Khan’s Green Roots Fund will deliver a £12 million investment over the next three years into projects designed to make London greener, healthier and more resilient to climate change.

“Access to nature is an issue of social justice and it can’t just be those who live in the countryside who get to share their home with our amazing wild creatures,” Sir Sadiq said.

“Everyone deserves to enjoy nature, no matter where they live. This is only the beginning of the change we will see.”

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At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about restoring habitats in the UK to halt the decline in our wildlife.