The white stork hasn’t been a regular native breeder in the UK for centuries. However, a reintroduction programme in West Sussex has released captive‑bred and rehabilitated white storks since the late 2010s. He reported the sighting to the RSPB and White Stork Project. Rewilding Britain reports that over 250 white storks have been released across southern England (Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex) as part of the White Stork Project. White storks prefer open landscapes such as wetlands, floodplains, grasslands, meadows, pastures and agricultural fields, usually with shallow standing water nearby.