White Stork Project Volunteers
Some of our volunteers earning a well earned break on one of the many physical working days we have throughout the season
We are lucky to have a fantastic group of volunteers who are dedicated to the White Stork Project. Here is what Stork Volunteer, Kirsty Richardson, has to say about her involvement in the Project:
‘It is a joy and an honour to work with the White Stork Project. I visit the stork enclosure regularly to feed our flightless birds. I monitor the nest building and try and spot new nests as they are built on the estate. As the season progresses through mating season, the excitement builds as I watch nests to spot the storks behaviour that indicates they have laid eggs and then watch for signs that they’ve hatched. Later it’s time for ringing and fledging, which is always bittersweet as it takes 4 years for them to return.
The highlights of my 6 years with the project would have to be in 2020 my first sighting of the first chick hatched (nest 1) in over 600 years in this country. How amazing is that. It brought a tear to my eye. Another huge moment was in 2023 when some of the flightless birds produced chicks who successfully fledged and then headed south to warmer climes, all on their own - their instincts are strong. They are captivating and fascinating. I have high hopes for a few of our first Knepp chicks to return this year.’
Knepp Castle Estate
CORE PROJECT SITE
Knepp Estate in West Sussex provides the overall project vision. This is the primary release site for White Storks, where some birds are managed in captivity and is home to the first wild breeding White Storks in the UK.
A six-acre purpose-built predator-proof pen has been home to a number of rehabilitated white storks from Poland since 2016. Some of these are not able to fly due to previous injury. The intention is to increase the number of local breeding individuals and establish a free living colony in the South of England. This method is based on the successful approach used to restore White Stork populations in many parts of Europe over the last 50 years.
For the last few years, the storks at Knepp have benefitted from the abundance of invertebrates to hunt out in the rewilded scrub. They have also made use of the many ancient oak trees, choosing to build nearly all their nests amongst them, mostly in close proximity to the predator-proof enclose.
Wadhurst Park
Angela and Brad from Wadhurst watch adult storks overhead as the team prepares to access a nest for ringing chicks. The nest platform pictured had three healthy chicks in 2023.
Photo credit: Kevin Harwood
PROJECT RELEASE SITE
Wadhurst Park Estate in East Sussex is a satellite release site and is home to a growing population of our White Storks. By having release sites in the Southeast of England, we are establishing a core area for these birds to take up residency close to the English Channel.
The habitat at Wadhurst is perfect for white storks with ample feeding opportunities among grassland and woodland and a large, thriving lake as well as a series of wildlife ponds.
Cotswold Wildlife Park
Rich supplementary feeds some of the growing chicks. The parent birds will regurgitate food for the chicks and supplementary feeding helps to give them a good chance of survival.
Photo credit: Rory Carnegie
Issy supplementary feeds the growing chicks and uses the time to monitor and observe the health and growth of the birds
Photo credit - Rory Carnegie
HUSBANDRY EXPERTISE AND CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAMME
The Cotswold Wildlife Park joined the project in 2016 and provides essential husbandry expertise and runs the project’s captive breeding programme, providing juveniles for release each summer.
The CWP have a population of rehabilitated non-flying storks in a large enclosure on site. This colony successfully breeds each year and some of the juvenilles produced are brought to Knepp to help bolster the numbers of the growing colony there.
This is an important part of the reintroduction as the wild colony gets established. The increased number of storks will help the population to feel secure and mean there is more chance that they choose too stay around. In the future, the increased genetic diversity will also be important for the breeding programme.
The CWP have a wealth of experience and expertise in breeding birds (and other animals) and their guidance has been fundamental in the success of the project. We have also been able to learn a huge amount about white stork behaviour thanks to their close monitoring and observation.
At least one of the captive bred storks from the CWP has made it all the way to Morocco on migration and we are excited to find out if it returns back to the UK to breed.
Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation
Species recovery expertise
Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation joined the project in 2016 and is dedicated to wildlife conservation and research, with a special emphasis on species recovery projects and the restoration of natural ecosystems. Its technical reintroduction project expertise is invaluable to the project.
Warsaw Zoo
source population
Warsaw Zoo provided the original rehabilitated storks for the project’s breeding programme and initial releases.
