It might sound like a scene from the distant past, but an exciting urban rewilding group is hoping to bring these majestic birds back to the capital and they want your thoughts on the idea.

White storks were once a familiar sight across Britain, but centuries of hunting and habitat loss pushed them away, making them vanish as a breeding species here. Now, Citizen Zoo, a passionate community-led group dedicated to bringing nature back into urban spaces, is exploring the possibility of making London a white stork haven.

This adventure starts with mapping out potential habitats, chatting with local boroughs to see who is on board, and asking Londoners like you what you think about welcoming these feathered visitors back to town.

The idea is not just a flight of fancy. Since 2016, the White Stork Project in Sussex has been hard at work releasing rehabilitated storks at places like Knepp and Wadhurst Park. These reintroduced birds act like beacons, attracting wild storks flying in from Europe. Their efforts paid off in 2020 when the project celebrated its first successful breeding season.

What is more, white stork sightings in Greater London have skyrocketed recently from just 27 sightings in the 40 years before 2016 to 472 between 2016 and 2023. Clearly, these birds are eyeing London as a potential new home.

Elliot Newton, co-founder of Citizen Zoo and director of rewilding, explains that white storks are actually great urban adapters. If you look at Europe, these birds thrive in cities and towns. We want to figure out how London can become a welcoming place for them and inspire people with the nature we can have right in our neighborhoods.

Leading the charge on gathering public opinion is Dr Rachel White from the University of Brighton. She is running a two-phase survey that mirrors a national study she did for the Sussex project. The first phase reached 1,000 Londoners for a quick pulse check, and now phase two is open for residents and visitors to share their views on white storks making a comeback in London.

The insights collected will help Citizen Zoo shape the future of the project whether that means creating new green spaces to invite storks naturally or even releasing rescued birds just like in Sussex.

Citizen Zoo is no stranger to urban wildlife comebacks. They have brought beavers back to Ealing, reintroduced water voles in Surrey, and restored wetlands across London. Now with a little help from the community, white storks might just be the next big city comeback story. Would you welcome these graceful giants back to London’s skies?

Photo by mirceax from Getty Images