An urban rewilding group is seeking the public’s views on the potential return of white storks to London as part of a project to see if the birds could make a home in the capital.

White storks could once be seen flying in Britain’s skies and building their huge nests on roofs and in trees, but they disappeared centuries ago as a breeding bird as a result of hunting and habitat loss.

Citizen Zoo, an organisation that specialises in community-led urban rewilding, is conducting an appraisal on making London a “white stork-friendly city”. It will include habitat mapping, contacting boroughs across the capital to gauge their interest and surveying the public about the birds.