High above Berlin’s Viktoriapark, the rapid keck-keck-keck calls of goshawks echo as the powerful raptors soar and dive, scattering crows in their path. For conservationist Dr Paul O’Donoghue, it is a vision of what could soon become reality in the UK.
O’Donoghue and Rewilding UK plan to introduce goshawks into British cities, starting with Chester and London. Once persecuted to near extinction in the UK, the apex predator has thrived in European capitals such as Berlin, Amsterdam, and Prague. There, goshawks hunt pigeons from rooftops and nest in city parks, seemingly unfazed by traffic, joggers, or schoolchildren.
The project foresees releasing 15 birds in each city, sourced from European nests and UK breeders. The aim is not just to re-establish the species in urban Britain but also to restore balance by curbing mesopredators such as crows, magpies, and jackdaws, whose booming numbers have threatened smaller garden birds.
“This is proof it can be done,” O’Donoghue said, pointing to Berlin’s estimated 100 breeding pairs – the highest-known concentration in the world. “It creates an ecology of fear. Everyone knows the big guys are in town.”
The proposal must still be approved by Natural England, and some experts remain cautious. Scientists warn that rural-sourced chicks may struggle to adapt to city life, while others doubt whether such small numbers will have a measurable effect on bird populations.
If approved, the £110,000 project will equip the birds with GPS trackers and provide supplementary food until they can fend for themselves. O’Donoghue believes the psychological benefits are as important as the ecological ones.
“Imagine walking through a city park and seeing a goshawk,” he said. “It will inject real excitement into people’s daily lives.”
