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Emitting quick keck-keck-keck cries that echoed through a central Berlin green space, the large hawks soared far above the canopy and wheeled before swooping down to drive away a disorganized group of crows that had begun to harass them.

"They are basically a soaring superhero bringing law and order to the city," remarked a conservationist, observing the large pale-bellied birds through a telescope. "They are like stealth bombers."

The goshawk is an top predator – and conservationists aspire it will soon deliver wonder and delight to British cities, mirroring its success in European urban areas. In the United Kingdom, this swift raptor was persecuted to near extinction and just began to recover in countryside regions during the 1960s. It is still commonly persecuted on private lands and grouse moors.

Flourishing in European Cities

In other parts of the continent, the goshawk is doing well – even in bustling capitals such as Berlin, Amsterdam, and Prague. From a public garden in Berlin, where a large nest rested in the top of a tree under 100 metres from a war memorial, the "phantom of the forest" preys on pigeons in the roads and even perches on rooftops.

The birds have adjusted to heavy vehicle flow – although tall transparent structures still pose a threat – and are much more comfortable with the constant flow of pet owners, joggers, and schoolchildren than their woodland counterparts would be with people.

"This is similar to any park in the UK, that's the amazing thing," commented the director of a rewilding initiative, which aims to introduce goshawks to Chester and London in the initial phase of a project introducing them to cities. "It proves this can be accomplished swiftly – without much fuss, but with so much excitement."

Assisted Colonisation Plan

The conservationist is planning to present a application for the "assisted colonisation" of the goshawk to the authorities in the near future; the plan foresees the release of 15 birds in each of the selected urban areas, obtained as juveniles from wild continental eyries and British breeders.

He expects they will come to the rescue of Britain's struggling songbirds by preying on mesopredators such as corvids, magpies, and small crows, whose numbers have increased unchecked and endangered birds further down the ecological pyramid.

Their arrival should have an instant impact on the "bold" medium-sized birds that attack smaller ones that people adore, says the scientist, referencing a comparable phenomenon documented in canine predators. "This is what's called an ecology of fear. Everyone realizes the apex predators are in town."

Possible Hurdles and Dangers

Rewilding projects throughout Europe have encountered strong resistance from farmers and political factions in the past decade, as big carnivores such as wild canines and ursines have come back to territories now inhabited by humans. As their populations have grown, they have begun to eat farm animals and in some cases attack individuals.

The introduction of the goshawk into city England is unlikely to spark a similar backlash – the birds currently reside in other parts of the country, and animal guardians and city residents have little to worry about from them – but the bird has caused tensions even in urban centers it has inhabited for years.

In the German capital, where an approximate 100 breeding pairs represent the largest density in the world, and other European towns, goshawks have turned into the target of pigeon and chicken breeders whose animals are being eaten.

A researcher who has researched goshawk adjustment to city environments used GPS trackers to follow 60 goshawks as part of her PhD, and says that while there could be potential advantages from employing goshawks to control mesopredators in British cities, chicks removed from countryside homes may struggle to adapt to urban life and stressed the importance to include all stakeholders from the start. "In general, it's a risky business."

Scientific Opinions

An ornithologist who has studied hawk behaviour in rural England commented it was unclear if the birds would choose to remain in urban environments and unlikely that the proposed numbers would be sufficient to have a significant positive impact on backyard species populations. "What is the fate of those 15 birds?" he asked. "My guess is they'll likely scatter into the closest countryside."

The project leader is nonetheless optimistic about the project's chances. The specialist, who has previously been awarded a licence to track the Highland tiger and was a scientific consultant for a project that reintroduced the large bird back to the United Kingdom, argues that approaching reintroductions in a "welfare-based manner" is the essential element to achievement.

Past Reintroduction Attempts

The expert's initial attempt to reintroduce wild cats to the United Kingdom was rejected by the government secretary on the advice of the wildlife body in recent years. A draft application for a trial release has also met opposition, although the chair of the environmental organization recently showed enthusiasm about the prospect of releasing lynx during his two-year term.

If the hawk initiative proceeds, the birds will be equipped with GPS devices – an task expected to represent almost 50% of the projected project cost of £110,000 – and be provided a regular supply of food for as much as is needed after being freed. In the German city, the expert stressed the mental advantage of urban residents being able to observe a predator as secretive as the raptor while they go about their daily routines, rather than locating rewilding schemes only in rural locations.

"It will bring such excitement," he declared. "Individuals visit the green space to feed pigeons. Soon they'll be going to see goshawks."