Rewilding supports the comeback of all wildlife – including birds. Today, the efforts of Rewilding Europe and our partners are helping European bird species take to the air on a growing scale, delivering wide-ranging benefits for nature and people.
Winged wonders
Birds are some of the most incredible creatures on Earth. Around 500 different types of birds make Europe their home – from the tiny firecrest to the majestic cinereous vulture. Their flight inspires a sense of freedom and reminds us of our connection to the natural world.
Beyond their beauty, birds are essential for healthy nature. They pollinate plants, disperse seeds, control pests and scavenge. Their actions help store carbon, filter water, purify air and support thriving habitats. Birdwatching tourism also contributes to nature-based economies.
Yet, bird populations in Europe have declined alarmingly in recent decades. An estimated 550 million birds have disappeared from the continent over the last 40 years, with agricultural intensification, climate change, changes in forest cover, and urbanisation driving this decline. The good news is that bird populations can bounce back if we give them the space and right conditions.
Signs of recovery
Rewilding Europe’s latest European Wildlife Comeback Report shows that species such as barnacle geese, griffon vultures, great white egrets, and Dalmatian pelicans are recovering, driven by protection, changing land use and growing conservation efforts.
Across Europe, we are helping birds return. Some species are coming back naturally as habitats improve, while others need a boost through reintroductions and by ensuring enough food is available.
Rewilding Europe itself is working with a burgeoning coalition of partners to amplify the rewilding of European skies. Grants from our European Wildlife Comeback Fund, for example, which works to scale up keystone species reintroduction and population reinforcement across Europe, are supporting an ever-increasing number of rewilding initiatives with their bird-related efforts.
So far, the fund has supported the release of more than 120 birds across four countries, disbursing grants worth a cumulative total of 626,000 euros to date.
“As they disperse across Europe and beyond, birds connect areas and play a critical role in maintaining and restoring the health and functionality of ecosystems, so we are proud to support these critical efforts,” says Rewilding Europe’s Rewilding Landscapes Manager Sophie Monsarrat, who manages the European Wildlife Comeback Fund.
Creating an enabling environment
Members of Rewilding Europe’s European Rewilding Network, which earlier in 2025 saw its membership reach 100, are also directly working to restore bird populations. From griffon vultures in Sicily and the French Alps to bald ibises in Central Europe, these initiatives are restoring iconic species and inspiring communities along the way.
Many network members also indirectly support birds by restoring wetlands, rivers and wild herbivore populations, enabling habitats to flourish and attract returning species.
Despite progress, European birds of all species still face a diverse range of threats – from climate change, disappearing habitat, and a lack of food, to chemicals in the environment, poaching, nest disturbance, and collisions with wind turbines, power lines, and other infrastructure. Effectively rewilding European skies means addressing and mitigating these threats as much as possible, in order to create an environment where birds can thrive and fill our skies.
Let’s rewild European skies together
Supporting bird comeback is not just about saving species. It’s about restoring nature at scale. Everyone can play a role ensuring people and birds can thrive together – from rewilding back gardens to taking birdwatching trips that support nature-based economies.
European rewilding initiatives working to restore populations of keystone bird species are welcome to apply to the European Wildlife Comeback Fund and for membership of the European Rewilding Network. Those interested in financially contributing to bird recovery in Europe – and the recovery of other keystone wildlife species – can support the fund.
Interested in learning more about our efforts to support bird comeback in Europe?
Dive deeper into this topic through our “Rewilding the Sky” feature story.