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Releasing rapid keck-keck-keck calls that resounded through a downtown Berlin park, the large hawks soared high above the canopy and circled before diving downwards to chase off a disorganized flock of crows that had begun to harass them.

"It's essentially a soaring Batman enforcing justice to the city," remarked a wildlife expert, watching the sizable pale-bellied birds through binoculars. "They are like stealth bombers."

The goshawk is an apex predator – and conservationists hope it will soon deliver awe and joy to UK cities, following its presence in German metropolises. In the UK, this fast-moving bird of prey was hunted to virtual disappearance and only started to bounce back in rural regions during the 1960s. It remains commonly persecuted on shooting estates and grouse moors.

Flourishing in European Capitals

In different parts of Europe, the goshawk is doing well – even in busy capitals such as Berlin, the Dutch capital, and the Czech capital. From a public garden in the city, where a sizable eyrie rested in the crown of a tree under 100 metres from a war memorial, the "phantom of the forest" preys on pigeons in the streets and even perches on building tops.

The raptors have adapted to heavy vehicle flow – while high glass buildings still present a threat – and are much more at ease with the steady stream of pet owners, joggers, and schoolchildren than their woodland counterparts would be with humans.

"This is similar to any park in the UK, that's the amazing thing," commented the director of a conservation initiative, which plans to bring these raptors to Chester and London in the initial phase of a project introducing them to urban environments. "It proves this can be accomplished swiftly – without much fuss, but with so much excitement."

Assisted Colonisation Plan

The expert is preparing to submit a proposal for the "urban reintroduction" of the goshawk to the regulator in the coming weeks; the plan envisions the freeing of 15 birds in both of the two cities, sourced as juveniles from wild continental nests and British breeders.

He hopes they will provide help of the UK's beleaguered songbirds by preying on mesopredators such as crows, magpies, and jackdaws, whose numbers have grown unchecked and endangered birds further down the ecological pyramid.

Their arrival should have an immediate effect on the "bold" mid-sized birds that prey on smaller ones that the public love, explains the scientist, referencing a similar phenomenon observed in canine predators. "This is what's called an ecology of fear. Everyone realizes the apex predators are in town."

Potential Challenges and Risks

Rewilding projects throughout Europe have faced strong opposition from agricultural workers and political groups in recent years, as big carnivores such as wolves and bears have returned to lands now populated by humans. As their populations have grown, they have begun to consume livestock and in certain instances attack individuals.

The reintroduction of the raptor into urban Britain is unlikely to trigger a similar resistance – the species already reside in other parts of the country, and animal guardians and city residents have little to fear from them – but the species has caused tensions even in urban centers it has long called home.

In the German capital, where an estimated 100 mated couples represent the largest concentration in the world, and other German cities, goshawks have turned into the target of bird fanciers whose animals are being eaten.

A scientist who has studied raptor adjustment to urban settings employed GPS trackers to monitor 60 goshawks as part of her doctorate, and says that while there could be possible benefits from employing these predators to regulate mesopredators in UK urban areas, chicks taken from countryside homes may struggle to adapt to city life and emphasized the importance to include all interested parties early on. "Overall, it's a hazardous business."

Expert Views

An ecologist who has examined goshawk behavior in non-urban Britain said it was unclear if the raptors would choose to stay in urban environments and unlikely that the proposed quantity would be enough to have a noticeable positive effect on backyard species numbers. "What will happen of those 15 birds?" he asked. "I suspect is they'll likely scatter into the closest rural areas."

The conservationist is nevertheless optimistic about the project's prospects. The specialist, who has previously been granted a licence to track the Highland tiger and was a scientific consultant for a project that reintroduced the large bird back to the UK, argues that approaching releases in a "humane way" is the key to achievement.

Past Rewilding Attempts

The expert's first attempt to reintroduce wild cats to the United Kingdom was refused by the environment official on the advice of the nature body in recent years. A draft proposal for a trial reintroduction has also met opposition, even though the head of the environmental body lately expressed interest about the prospect of reintroducing the feline predator during his 24-month tenure.

If the hawk initiative proceeds, the raptors will be equipped with GPS transmitters – an endeavour expected to represent almost half of the estimated project cost of £110,000 – and be given a steady supply of nourishment for as long as is needed after being freed. In the German city, the conservationist stressed the psychological benefit of urban residents being able to observe a predator as secretive as the goshawk while they go about their daily routines, rather than locating conservation projects only in countryside areas.

"It'll bring such excitement," he said. "People visit the green space to feed birds. Soon they'll be traveling to see hawks."