Rewilded English Farm Records 900% Increase in Breeding Birds
The Knepp rewilding estate in Sussex has recorded a 900% increase in breeding birds over 20 years, proving what's possible when nature is given space to recover.
AnimalsGNGV Editorial Team5 min readLast reviewed September 28, 2026
The Knepp rewilding estate in Sussex, England — once described as "depleted, polluted, dysfunctional" — has recorded a 900% increase in breeding birds over the past two decades.
Imperilled species such as the turtle dove and nightingale, which have experienced shocking declines across the UK, saw their numbers increase by 600% and 511% respectively at Knepp. Butterfly numbers have doubled and dragonflies increased by nearly 900%.
"We have gone from a depleted farmland to one of the most significant biodiversity hotspots in the UK," said Isabella Tree, who helped transform the 3,500-acre site. "The uplift in biodiversity shows how much life the land can hold."
