News

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27th April 2008
Students from Wiltshire College are hosting a fund raising day at the Lackham Campus to raise money for the GBG. Events l include a sponsored dog walk, tractor rides of the College's grounds and lots of activities for children.

14th March 2008
The GBG hosted a visit by James Gray MP for North Wiltshire and member of Defra Select Committee.

27th-29th November 2007
The GBG organised and hosted, in Wiltshire UK, the first ever international conference for people working with captive rear and release projects for Great Bustards throughout its range. more>

26th September 2007
This year's group of Great Bustards have been released on Salisbury Plain. All six birds are fitted with GPS satellite transmitters which were kindly supplied by Natural England and fitted by Spanish Great Bustards expert Prof. Juan Carlos Alonso. It is hoped that these units will help us track the movements and habits of the UK released birds with greater accuracy than has been previously possible with VHF radio transmitters. more>

24th August 2007
The new batch of Great Bustards have arrived in the UK. Sadly only six birds were available for the UK project this year. This is due to remarkably few nests having been found during routine spring and summer argicultural operations - the only source of Great Bustard eggs to benefit the UK project. Unusually hot temperatures were recorded in Saratov this summer which may have contributed to lower breeding success and also ensured that agricultural operations took place at least two weeks earlier than normal. However, all six birds imported have survived their journey and are in good health. The GBG reintroduction project has demonstrated that once birds have made it through the first couple of months after release, they have an excellent chance of a long life so every bird counts towards re-establishing the Great Bustard in the UK. more>

23rd July 2007

Earlier this spring a female from the GBG reintroduction project nested in Wiltshire. This is the first Great Bustard nest in the wild in the UK for 175 years. To avoid potential disturbance the announcement was delayed and the location of the nest is not being disclosed. Press Release>

4th July 2007
The GBG reintroduction project is to feature in a documentary on BBC1, showing as part of the Saving Planet Earth series that begins on BBC1 on the 24th June. Look out for the programme scheduled for broadcast on BBC1 on Wednesday 4th July. Although not showing nationally, BBC1 South is available to other parts of the UK through Free View and Satellite services. more>

3rd-10th May 2007
A delegation from GBG visit Germany and Hungary to learn first hand about their country's Great Bustard conservation projects. The exchanges form the foundation of an international workshop for practical Great Bustard conservation to be hosted by the GBG in Wiltshire in the Winter. more>

28th April 2007
A team from the GBG returned to the UK from Russia on the 28th April having completed a spring census of Great Bustards in the Saratov Oblast. The surveys were carried out by the GBG in conjunction with the Severtsov Institute of Ecology (Russian Academy of Science) and were pleased to welcome along Spanish Great Bustards expert Prof. Juan Carlos Alonso.
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22nd April 2007
Two females also from the 2005 release returned to GBG release site for the second year running. Although they appear to have missed the displaying male at the release site this year, fingers are crossed that they will turn up at the same time in future years.
more>

20th March 2007
A male Great Bustard from the 2005 release has returned to the GBG Release Site for the second year running. But this spring it was seen displaying, to a captive male and a free-flying female. To see a male Great Bustard displaying is the biggest landmark for the UK reintroduction so far! more>

5th-14th January 2007
David Waters travels to Saratov to begin the next round of paperwork! The weather is unusually mild at -5 oC! and 78 Great Bustards are seen on route to the field station.

11th-18th November 2006
A delegation of Russian officials visit the GBG. The delegation consists of officials involved in the conservation of the Great Bustard and the licensing of the collection of eggs from destroyed nests, and the export of these chicks by the GBG.

October - December 2006
David Waters and the GBG are included in a BBC documentary, filmed by Carnyx Films, and hosted by TV celebrity Rory McGrath. The film is scheduled for broadcast in Spring 2007.

17th October 2006
All nine Great Bustards survive the transportation and quarantine period and are released into the pen in perfect health.

14th September 2006
After a summer of tiresome negotiations and legal wrangling, nine Great Bustard chicks are finally transported from Russia to the UK.

July 2006
MME (BirdLife International, Hungary) issue a report endorsing the work of the GBG in Russia.

Summer 2006
All Great Bustard eggs in nests left in buffer zones in Saratov fields, as part of the nest protection protocol, are lost due to females deserting and/or predation.

May 2006
The GBG invite representatives from MME (BirdLife International, Hungary) back to Saratov to inspect the new nest protection protocol.

26th April-1st May 2006
GBG host a workshop in Saratov to formulate recommendations for protecting Great Bustard nests in Saratov using ‘buffer zones’ – areas left uncultivated by tractors driving around nesting females. The workshop is attended by representatives of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology (Russian Academy of Science), MME (BirdLife International, Hungary), University of Bath and the Russian Bird Conservation Union.

7th September 2006-12-05
The remaining 14 birds are released.

18th August 2005
The first 18 birds are released straight into the release pen.

July 2005
The chicks arrived from Russia on the 22nd July after a long and arduous journey. 37 have arrived at the release site and are going through the 30 day quarantine period with vet checks prior to being released.

March-June 2005
We are now into the build up towards next years release. The quarantine pens have been put back up and are awaiting the Defra inspection. The plans for people to travel to Russia are in full swing and we are all ready for the new group of chicks to arrive in a few months time.

December-February 2004/05
Unfortunately due to the high winds and driving rain several of the Bustards have had flying accidents. We now have 4 injured birds in captivity (one being nursed back to health and hopefully will be re-released)

October-November 2004
So far the Bustards have not strayed very far from the large enclosure, as it contains plenty of natural food and is relatively sheltered. Unfortunately some of those that have made the break for freedom have not survived, with 2 being caught by foxes and 2 suffering collisions with barbed wire fences. On a lighter note one has been spotted at a local partridge shoot, to the shock of those on the ground. He has been named Dudley!!

September 2004
The Bustard release site is open for people to visit (by appointment only). Please contact the GBG prior to making the trip, as the land occupied by the release site is either working farmland or military training land.

18th September 2004
Two male birds are injured in the pens and the decision is made to release the remaining 22 birds rather than risk further injury. The injured birds are now in good health, but cannot fly properly, so will remain in captivity. The other birds are released into the large open topped enclosure and are free to leave when they wish.

2nd September 2004
The Great Bustard chicks (now 3 months old) are transferred from quarantine pens into a much larger soft release pens to acclimatise them to the ‘real world’ and to allow them to under go predator awareness training.

9th August 2004
Unfortunately, during the first week of quarantine, 4 birds die, most probably through malnutrition. The remainder are put on a more varied and protein-rich diet.

2nd August 2004
The chicks arrive! Twenty-eight Great Bustard chicks arrived in the UK from Russia after a gruelling road and air trip, and have begun their quarantine period. Two chicks were judged to be too unfit to travel, and remained in Russia.

March-July 2004
David Waters, Patrick and Tanya Osbourne make regular trips to Russia to supervise egg collections and rearing of the newly hatched chicks.

February 2004
Authority for CITES in Russia call a short notice meeting. Authority was granted to export the bustards to the UK.

December 2003
Two Russian scientists from Saratov visit Salisbury Plains to see the site and the local area.

3rd November 2003
Minister for the Environment, Ben Bradshaw MP announces that the Licence has been approved.

3rd Nov. 2002
Application made to Defra to release the Great Bustard into the UK.

1999
The last bird from the Porton Down project, named Kato, dies.

1998
Great Bustard Group formed

1997
The Great Bustard Trust wound up.

1989
Though one chick is born in the Porton Down project it does not survive to adulthood and no Great Bustards are released into the wild. The surviving birds are transferred to Whipsnade Animal Park in Bedfordshire.

1970’s
The Great Bustard Trust, under the Honourable Aylmer Tryon, established a four-hectare pen on Ministry of Defence land on Porton Down in Wiltshire.