In Berlin’s city parks, northern goshawks soar above the trees, chasing crows and hunting pigeons with ease. Now, British conservationists hope to bring the same spectacle to urban England.
Dr Paul O’Donoghue of Rewilding UK has unveiled plans to release 15 goshawks each into Chester and London, sourcing chicks from wild nests in Europe and UK breeders. The proposal, to be submitted soon to Natural England, aims to restore the apex predator to city environments where mid-sized birds such as crows and magpies have grown unchecked.
“The goshawk is like a flying Batman bringing law and order to the city,” said O’Donoghue during a visit to Berlin, where the birds thrive in public parks. “It proves this can be done quickly – without much fuss, but with so much excitement.”
The project seeks to replicate the “ecology of fear” seen with wolves and other predators, with the presence of goshawks expected to curb mesopredators and help smaller songbirds.
Not all scientists are convinced. Ian Henderson of the British Trust for Ornithology warned that a small release may have little impact, with the birds likely dispersing into surrounding countryside. Manuela Merling de Chapa, who tracked 60 goshawks in German cities, stressed that chicks raised in rural nests may struggle to adapt to urban life and that all stakeholders must be consulted.
Despite scepticism, O’Donoghue remains optimistic, citing his work with wildcats and great bustards. If approved, the £110,000 project would fit released birds with GPS transmitters and provide food support during acclimatisation.
For O’Donoghue, the benefits go beyond ecology: “Imagine the psychological lift of spotting a goshawk in your local park. People go to feed pigeons—soon they’ll go to see goshawks.”
