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Emitting quick keck-keck-keck cries that resounded across a central Berlin park, the goshawks soared far over the canopy and circled before swooping down to chase off a disorganized group of black birds that had begun to harass them.

"It's basically a flying Batman enforcing justice to the city," remarked a wildlife expert, observing the sizable light-breasted birds through binoculars. "They're like stealth bombers."

The goshawk is an top predator – and conservationists hope it will soon deliver wonder and joy to British cities, mirroring its presence in German urban areas. In the United Kingdom, this swift raptor was persecuted to virtual extinction and just started to recover in rural areas during the mid-20th century. It is still commonly targeted on shooting estates and hunting grounds.

Thriving in European Capitals

In different parts of Europe, the goshawk is thriving – even in bustling cities such as the German capital, Amsterdam, and the Czech capital. From a public garden in the city, where a sizable nest rested in the crown of a tree under 100 metres from a war memorial, the elusive hunter preys on pigeons in the streets and even perches on building tops.

The birds have adapted to heavy traffic – although high transparent structures still present a threat – and are far more comfortable with the steady stream of dogwalkers, joggers, and schoolchildren than their woodland counterparts would be with people.

"It is just like any park in the UK, that's the magical aspect," commented the head of a rewilding initiative, which aims to introduce goshawks to Chester and London in the initial phase of a program reintroducing them to cities. "It demonstrates this can be accomplished swiftly – with little difficulty, but with so much enthusiasm."

Assisted Colonisation Plan

The expert is preparing to present a proposal for the "assisted colonisation" of the northern goshawk to the authorities in the coming weeks; the plan foresees the release of 15 birds in each of the selected urban areas, obtained as chicks from natural continental eyries and UK breeders.

He hopes they will provide help of Britain's struggling songbirds by hunting mesopredators such as crows, black-and-white birds, and small crows, whose populations have increased without control and endangered birds further down the ecological pyramid.

Their presence should have an immediate impact on the "brazen" medium-sized birds that prey on smaller ones that people love, says the scientist, referencing a similar phenomenon observed in canine predators. "It's what's known as an landscape of fear. Everyone knows the apex predators are in town."

Potential Hurdles and Dangers

Rewilding projects throughout Europe have encountered fierce opposition from agricultural workers and political factions in recent years, as large predators such as wolves and bears have come back to lands now inhabited by humans. As their numbers have grown, they have started to consume farm animals and in certain instances confront humans.

The introduction of the goshawk into city Britain is unlikely to spark a similar resistance – the birds currently live in other parts of the nation, and animal guardians and urban gardeners have little to worry about from them – but the bird has created conflicts even in cities it has long called home.

In the German capital, where an estimated 100 mated couples constitute the largest concentration in the world, and additional European cities, these hawks have turned into the target of bird fanciers whose birds are being consumed.

A researcher who has studied goshawk adaptation to urban settings used GPS trackers to follow 60 birds as part of her doctorate, and says that although there could be potential advantages from using goshawks to regulate mid-level predators in British urban areas, chicks removed from countryside homes may struggle to adapt to city life and emphasized the need to involve all interested parties early on. "In general, it's a hazardous business."

Expert Opinions

An ornithologist who has examined hawk behaviour in non-urban Britain said it was unclear if the birds would decide to stay in urban environments and improbable that the suggested numbers would be enough to have a significant beneficial impact on backyard species numbers. "What will happen of those 15 birds?" he said. "I suspect is they'll likely disperse into the closest countryside."

The conservationist is nonetheless upbeat about the initiative's chances. The specialist, who has previously been granted a licence to track the Highland tiger and was a scientific consultant for a program that brought the large bird back to the United Kingdom, argues that handling releases in a "welfare-based manner" is the essential element to success.

Past Reintroduction Efforts

The conservationist's first attempt to bring back lynx to the United Kingdom was refused by the environment official on the recommendation of the wildlife body in 2018. A preliminary proposal for a trial reintroduction has also met resistance, even though the head of the environmental organization recently expressed interest about the prospect of releasing lynx during his two-year term.

If the hawk initiative goes ahead, the birds will be equipped with GPS transmitters – an endeavour expected to account for almost half of the estimated budget of £110,000 – and be provided a steady source of nourishment for as much as is needed after being released. In Berlin, the expert highlighted the psychological advantage of city-dwellers being able to observe a hunter as elusive as the goshawk while they go about their daily routines, rather than locating conservation projects exclusively in rural areas.

"It'll bring such thrill," he declared. "People go to the park to feed birds. In the future they'll be going to observe goshawks."