Common cranes 'here to stay' after recolonising eastern England

Model predicts population of UK's tallest bird could double within 50 years after its return to the east of England following a 400-year absence

Common cranes which recolonised eastern England less than 40 years ago after a 400-year absence are now here to stay, research has found.

There could be as many as 275 breeding pairs of the UK's tallest bird within 50 years, scientists at the University of Exeter, the RSPB and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) predict.