A flock of rare white storks have been filmed near a Kent windmill.

The mustering was spotted in Chillenden near Deal yesterday.

White storks are rare in the UK after habitat loss and industrialisation reduced their numbers globally.

Evidence suggests that they were once widely distributed across the country.

Since 2020, wild birds have been reintroduced and breeding colonies have been established in a few areas of southern England by the White Stork Project.

Shawn Stanley captured footage of the storks at about 8am.

He told KentOnline: “They showed up at around the same time last year but a few miles away near Hammill towards Sandwich.

“Great to see them bringing lost animals back. I counted more than 50.”

His footage shows some of the birds marching through a stubble field in front of Chillenden Windmill as others relax in the sun.

George Cooper filmed another video of the birds.

He has also spotted the even more rare black stork at Minster Marshes.

His video shows the animals spread out across the field, some picking at the ground and others flying a few metres.

The White Stork Project encourages anyone who spots a stork to report the sighting to them.

It tags storks and monitors them to aid in their reintroduction and future conservation.

In 2023, four chicks which were born at Wildwood in Herne Bay were released into the Knepp rewilding reserve in west Sussex, the main UK breeding ground for storks.