The Great Bustard, the heaviest flying bird in the world, was last seen in 1832. However, they are now back in the skies of Great Britain! The Great Bustard Group has successfully reintroduced the world's first self sustaining population with over 100 birds. Last year we rescued eggs from 8 nests, from these we raised and released 13 chicks. This year we need your help to save even more.

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THE PROJECT

The Rescue, Raise & Release project supports the wild breeding population of these charismatic birds, which were reintroduced to Wiltshire by the Great Bustard Group.

Great Bustards were present throughout the UK over 190 years ago, until they were driven to national extinction through persecution, changes in farming methods and specimen collecting.

Fortunately, populations still existed on mainland Europe, but help has been needed to bring them back to Great Britain.

The success of the reintroduction project that started back in 1998, has since led to a growing and sustainable population of over 100 birds as well as protecting land for other endangered bird species.

Great bustards are having a helping hand in growing their population once again through this project to Rescue, Raise & Release them back into Wiltshire.

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RESCUE

In recent years some of the female bustards have taken to nesting in silage crops such as Sainfoin and Lucerne. These crops are mown several times through the summer and any eggs present at the time of mowing could be destroyed. Nesting females and chicks are also at risk and could also be killed by the mowers.

To counter this threat the Great Bustard Group staff, its volunteers and specially trained dogs, search likely fields very carefully for nests prior to the first mowing and, acting under the appropriate licence, rescue the eggs.

Those females whose eggs are removed will nest a second time and hopefully choose a safer place to lay another clutch.

RAISE

The eggs are then immediately transported to Cotswold Wildlife Park where the team continues the incubation and oversees the hatching of the eggs after an average of 25 days.

Once hatched the day old chicks are then taken back to the Great Bustard Group project site in Wiltshire and are raised by hand by the dedicated staff and volunteers in the chick rearing sheds. For the first three weeks they must be fed by hand every hour.

The chicks need to be bill fed with a puppet (as above) and exercised as they grow. The rearing team wear dehumanisation suits to stop the chicks becoming attached to humans.

The chicks continue to be fed by the Great Bustard Group staff and team of volunteers for 3 to 4 months.

RELEASE

After 3 to 4 months the juvenile Bustards are released into the soft release area to protect them from potential predators.

When they are old enough they will fly free to join the droves of wild Great Bustards living in the surrounding fields across Salisbury Plain and south Wiltshire. Hopefully going on to have young themselves in the future to further grow the population.

Typically they will travel considerable distances in their first winter, but then return to their release site.

With your help we can give them the greatest chance of surviving long enough to have chicks of their own. Please donate.

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PROJECT COSTS

The money raised from your kind donations will help us continue to release more rescued Bustards and secure more land for them to inhabit, ensuring there is safe nesting habitat available for these birds when they are old enough to breed, as well as protect many other endangered species.

The work for this project throughout the year costs up to £33,000.

With you kind donation, we are looking to raise initial funds of £10,000 through this campaign, which will contribute to the following immediate project costs:

- Staff costs, volunteer expenses and expert contractors.

- GPS devices for marking nest locations.

- Working dogs to help us locate more nests.

- Transport to and from the site.

- Incubation equipment.

- Monitoring equipment such as webcams.

- Dehumanisation suit.

- Feeding hut maintenance.

- Feed for the chicks and juveniles.

- Release enclosure maintenance.

Further donations would cover rent for additional land for nesting females, protecting other bird species, machinery costs in order to ensure the land Bustard friendly and raising funds in preparation for next year's Rescue, Raise & Release.

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DONOR PERKS

As a champion of the Great Bustards you will receive regular exclusive updates on the project's progress and how they are developing from eggs to chicks to juveniles and then their release into the wild.

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GBG Website

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