COULD WHITE STORKS RETURN TO LONDON?

Conservationists ask residents for their views on mooted plans to reintroduce these long-legged birds to the capital

- Helen Pilcher

White storks might once again breed in London, thanks to a rewilding project that hopes to reintroduce this elegant bird to the capital - and is now canvassing local opinions on the idea.

The white stork is a symbol of hope, joy and new life. Standing over 1m tall, with a wingspan around twice that, these big-billed beauties used to breed in the UK before hunting and habitat loss drove them to extinction over 600 years ago. Now Citizen Zoo, a conservation charity that specialises in community-led urban rewilding, is testing the water to see if London could once again become a “white-stork-friendly city”.