Bald Ibis European Reintroduction Scheme

[David]

Source: Salzkammergut Internet magazine of 22.04.05

Success of the Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita reintroduction scheme – the birds remain in their winter quarters for the time being

7 Bald Ibis were escorted by an ultra-light aircraft from Scharnstein, Upper Austria to the WWF reserve Oasis Laguna di Orbetello in Tuscany. They have spent the winter there, and are being cared for by minders they relate to. .

Newly won freedom
The birds were given their independence on 4. April 2005. With the exception of the sleeping screen, the aviary has been dismantled, feeding stopped and direct human contact with the birds has ceased.
For the first time in 400 years there are free-flying Bald Ibis in Europe who have the imprint of their migratory route and thereby the capability to survive independently in the wild. The birds are at present still in their winter quarters; they are still using the sleeping screen and use the familiar meadow during the day for feeding.
Their behaviour is no longer being influenced by the Austrian team – www.waldrappteam.at – who now confine themselves to observation. The release of the birds in spring is in accordance with the natural dynamism of the family group. The adult birds return swiftly to their breeding territory to reproduce. The juveniles return either later in spring to the breeding territory or remain in winter quarters for 2 to three years until they have reached sexual maturity.

Teamwork
The experimental founding of a migratory colony is only one of the Austrian team’s activities. They worked closely with the Konrad Lorenz research institute in order to create a broadly based pool of knowledge for the protection and reintroduction of this greatly endangered species. The international popularity of the project is also being used to sensitize the general public, and in particular young people, for species conservation. Successful reintroduction schemes are only possible in a small number of cases and involve a great deal of effort (e.g. Bald Ibis, Bearded Vulture). We can all help however to prevent species becoming extinct in the first place.

Generation gap
The first and most necessary priority of sexually mature birds in the reproduction cycle is the return migration. Young Bald Ibis do not have this motivation as members of the ibis family of birds reach sexual maturity only after a number of years. They therefore have little motivation to leave their winter quarters, the two-way migration being full of risk and expensive in energy. In addition, whereas there is not enough food in the winter quarters for the rearing of young it is however usually sufficient for the requirements of the juveniles. Nevertheless the juveniles of some ibis species do return to the breeding territory after the first winter. This is triggered off either by the departure of the adults or by the deteriorating food supply situation at the start of the dry period in early summer.


A hidden and highly specialised food hunt
The birds have no problems with foraging independently. The daily feeding by the team was done primarily for social reasons: to develop ties between the birds and individual team members.
The Bald Ibis needs about 250 grams of food daily. This is usually met by their 4 to 6 hours daily foraging on the fields and meadows. Analysis of Bald Ibis diet in Tuscany has shown that up to 90% of their daily requirements consist of worms, larvae, beetles and snails for which they probe to a depth of up to 10 cm. They possess a highly specialised tool for this. The some 12 cm long, slightly curved beak works like a pair of tweezers – the upper and lower mandibles meet at the tip only. A hook on the upper mandible assists in getting a grip on the food source. The tip of the beak is also equipped with smell and taste organs.

High tech checks
From the start of the experiment the location of the birds is checked several times a day using radio telemetry, they were observed from a distance through binoculars and were counted when returning to their roost at night. An ultra light aircraft is also available at all times and, with its telemetry equipment, can locate the birds from a distance of 40 km.

A popular enrichment for the WWF Oasis Laguna di Orbetello
The Bald Ibis in the WWF Oasis Laguna di Orbetello are becoming more and more an enrichment for the fauna of the reserve.
Visitors have a unique opportunity to observe the birds, during opening hours, on the fields and meadows of the reserve. From 14th April onwards the daily checks of the birds will be carried out by local members of WWF Italy. A fully equipped team is permanently on stand-by in Austria to follow the birds’ flight should the leave the reserve.

Offspring
The next hand-rearing of offspring is being prepared in Austria. The brood has begun in the Alpenzoo and the Schönbrunn Zoo. Eggs and nestlings will be provided from these zoos for the hand-rearing programme which is carried out in the Schmiding Zoo near Wels in Upper Austria. An exhibition on the project can be seen there from 4th May to 10th July 2005 and visitors can observe the hand-rearing in the period mid-May to mid-June. In autumn this group will be led to the winter quarters in the south by an ultra light aircraft. This will increase the number of birds there in the coming winter to some 15 individuals.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

[Touty]

The only problem is that they have used birds descended from the non-migratory western Bald Ibis population (from Morocco). The eastern (migratory) population that once bred in Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia (and probably all of central and south-eastern Europe) belonged to the eastern (migratory) population that wintered (probably) in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, (modern day) Eritrea and Yemen was thought extinct when the last truly wild individuals died off in Birecik in Turkey in (IIRR) 1989. Then the subpopulation was rediscovered in 2003 by Italian ornithologists in Palmyria in Syria. Hopefully they will find a way to persuade these non-migratory birds to adopt a sustainable lifestyle but I find the likelihood of them leaving Tuscany for Austria pretty low... I mean, would you? ;)

[QUOTE=David]Source: Salzkammergut Internet magazine of 22.04.05

Success of the Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita reintroduction scheme – the birds remain in their winter quarters for the time being

[jurek]

Hi David,

Great thing. I, too, wonder if these ibis will ever leave Italy back towards Austria.

Anyway, there is now a group of birds released in S Spain, with hopes to make a non-migrating population.

[Touty]

Hi David,

Great thing. I, too, wonder if these ibis will ever leave Italy back towards Austria.


Following the appearance of one of the birds in magredi (steppe-like habitat) near Pordenone (NE Italy) on 16th April 2006, about 300km NE of the wintering grounds early last week (interestingly it was 'hanging out' with Austrian aeromodellers), 3 more birds have been located at a small airfield near Postonja in western Slovenia, about 100km further east. I attach a satellite foto to give you an idea.

[jurek]

interestingly it was 'hanging out' with Austrian aeromodellers

It is great that birds are well and flew back at least mid-way.

It is funny about aeromodellers. It seems that bis not only learned the migration route, but also assumed that model planes and landing fields are the place to be. :)

Similar situation was with Whooping Cranes in USA. Released cranes landed on school yards, which had cut grass and chainlink fences resembling aviaries.

[Capercaillie71]

Does anybody know why this migration route was chosen by the reintroduction team? Is there historical evidence that these birds used to migrate between the Alps and Tuscany? Otherwise it all seems a bit random, particularly in the light of Touty's reference to bald ibis migrating between central Europe and Arabia.

Still, I suppose it doesn't really matter so long as it works.

[Touty]

The story is a bit complicated but the Middle Ages naturalist Gesner described a bird he called the Waldrapp nesting in in the walls of Salzburg IIRR which later ornithologists identified as the Bald Ibis. Many were sceptical until bones were found in Middle Age middens in Graz. There are many historical references to birds in the areas that we now term Friuli (Italy), the Karst (Slovenia / Italy) and Istria, Dalmatia and Quarnero (Croatia). As to where these wintered and why they disappeared there is much idle speculation:

"Notes On Recent Discoveries Regarding The Presence Of The Northern Bald Ibis(Geronticus eremita) In The Upper Adriatic - F. Perco & P. Tout - Acrocephalus pp. 81 - 88."

If anyone is interested I can scan it and post it.

[jurek]

I think nobody knows where they wintered. It is just speculation that they wintered in Arabia and NE Africa, as breeders from Turkey and Syria do today.

I guess Italy reserve was chosen because it was reasonably close and safe. I think it was the right decision. Birds easily change wintering areas by themselves. For example White Storks in Spain used to migrate to S Africa few decades ago, but now many winter on rubbish dumps on Spanish Meds.

I am anxious for more info !

In the meantime there is another important thing - catch few last Bald Ibis breeding in Syria and fit them with satellite transmitter. Every year fewer birds return to Syria (although they raise young quite succesfully) and evidently they face large mortality somewhere on their unknown migrating or wintering route. Probably they are shot by mistake or feed on some field sprayed with pesticides.

[Touty]

I think nobody knows where they wintered. It is just speculation that they wintered in Arabia and NE Africa, as breeders from Turkey and Syria do today.

I guess Italy reserve was chosen because it was reasonably close and safe. I think it was the right decision. Birds easily change wintering areas by themselves. For example White Storks in Spain used to migrate to S Africa few decades ago, but now many winter on rubbish dumps on Spanish Meds.

I am anxious for more info !

In the meantime there is another important thing - catch few last Bald Ibis breeding in Syria and fit them with satellite transmitter. Every year fewer birds return to Syria (although they raise young quite succesfully) and evidently they face large mortality somewhere on their unknown migrating or wintering route. Probably they are shot by mistake or feed on some field sprayed with pesticides.

I don't think there is any doubt about the original wintering area.... there are plenty of references to the birds in Arabia.... even a name 'Abu Mengel', the bird that points the way to Mecca. What is not in doubt is that the area of NE Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen and western Saudi Arabia has become far more arid in the last century-and-a-half.

On another note. I read that the Pordenone bird has moved on and is in Austria. It was near the city of Freibach (Carinthia, borders with Styria) but has now headed north.... towards Grunau / Vienna.

"COMUNICATO UFFICIALE

One bird in Austria, three in Slovenia

Aurelia, the female bird, continued from Northern Italy to the north. Yesterday, Wednesday, he appeared in Friesach. That is a city in Carinthia, just at the border to Styria. The position is directly at the migration route. From there the bird continued to the North. It seems he is on the way across the Alps!!!

Three further birds, all males from the generation 2004, appeared in Slovenia near the city Postojna (coordinates 45.45 N / 14.12 E). That is about 90 km apart of the migration route. Local people watch the birds. In case it would be easy to catch them. However, 90 km is not that far from the route, so we wait to see if they turn back to continue along the route to the north."

Amazing really if they can pull this off and get a flock breeding in Austria and migrating down to Italy. I think the big question is now 'will these birds be bothered to fly back to Orbetello in September 2007'?

I attach a photo of a putative juvenile bald ibis from a 15th century fresco of a church at Hrastovlje in the Slovene Karst (an area not unlike Birecik in Turkey... limestone with rock faces riddled with caves and ledges as well as a famous 11th century carving from near Split in Croatia which I think definitely shows Bald (or Sacred) Ibises.

[Jos Stratford]

Fascinating thread, hope it all pulls together. Saw the Turkish ones many years back and the Moroccan too, but to keep a European population on the go would be quite fantastic

[Capercaillie71]

I see there is a picture of one of the birds on the gallery taken this week (also some from the Spanish reintroduction programme):

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showgallery.php?si=bald+ibis&x=13&y=7

[Capercaillie71]

I attach a photo of a putative juvenile bald ibis from a 15th century fresco of a church at Hrastovlje in the Slovene Karst (an area not unlike Birecik in Turkey... limestone with rock faces riddled with caves and ledges as well as a famous 11th century carving from near Split in Croatia which I think definitely shows Bald (or Sacred) Ibises.

Hmmm. Can't help thinking that needs a bit of imagination!! ;)

[Touty]

Hmmm. Can't help thinking that needs a bit of imagination!! ;)

Agreed! What do you suggest as the alternative bird or is it just a fantastic creation?

You really need the whole story to judge, rather than see it in isolation. There is even a Slovene name for the bird ('Klavzar') and a very good description from the 16th century by Ulisse Adrovandi of a 'Phalacrocorax ex illirio missus' ("a bald raven sent from Illyria" ... the modern day eastern Adriatic coast) and a drawing of what is certainly a Bald Ibis. There is every reason to believe that the original 'Phalacrocorax' (literally 'Bald Raven' or "Bald Crow" in Greek), nesting on cliffs, were not shags and cormorants but Bald Ibises.

I'll scan it and put it up.

[London Birder]

really interesting posts Touty ... as usual

[Capercaillie71]

Agreed! What do you suggest as the alternative bird or is it just a fantastic creation?


I'll buy the fresco as an ibis, but I wouldn't like to rule out glossy ibis. Not sure about that curly tail either. The carvings on the other hand could be anything (ibis, eagle, hoopoe, pigeon, hornbill!)

BTW I'm not doubting that the bald ibis used to live in central europe and I hope the reintroduction is successful. I just wondered why they were trying to set up a very specific short-range migration.

[Touty]

I'll scan it and put it up.

The first five pages:

[Touty]

The first five pages:

and the last two. I hope it's legible.

[Touty]

Not sure about that curly tail either.

Capercaillie? The main reason for excluding glossy ibis was that they don't have reddish legs or red beak.

The carvings on the other hand could be anything (ibis, eagle, hoopoe, pigeon, hornbill!)

With them being heraldic I think we can exclude hornbills, pigeons and even hoopoes. The Croatians say they are 'falcons' but their demeanour is very terrestrial. Each of the necks does appear to try to show a demarcation between head and neck. As the Italians say... 'we're discussing the sex of angels'. The carving dates to the 11th C.

[Capercaillie71]

A very interesting and informative paper Touty. A lot seems to rest on this fellow Gesner getting his ID right - is there any doubt at all about his references to bald ibis? Also, is there any physical evidence - bones found in archaeological sites etc.

[Touty]

A very interesting and informative paper Touty. A lot seems to rest on this fellow Gesner getting his ID right - is there any doubt at all about his references to bald ibis? Also, is there any physical evidence - bones found in archaeological sites etc.

No one could believe Gesner but he got very little else wrong. There was a decent picture but some modern ornithologists thought it was a hoax. Then a huge colony was discovered in Syria and the Birecik birds came to light. Then they found Bald Ibis bone in kitchen middens here and there in C. Europe. There was even a 16th C law in Salzburg protecting the squabs of the 'Waldrapp'... probably because it was getting rare and wanted by the city's rulers for feasts etc. I think the climate did for it overall, coming off the climatic optimum and low forest cover in the 250 years before the Black Death Europe was plunged into a long succession of bitter winters and poor summers combined with falling population and widespread hunger.

There's a very good (but very old) article from the Saudi Aramco magazine here:

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/197401/the.ibis.of.birecik.htm

[Capercaillie71]

There's a very good (but very old) article from the Saudi Aramco magazine here:



Yes, very old - nearly as old as me! The last paragraph of the article is quite sad, given its cautious optimism for the future of the Birecik birds. I've never seen a bald ibis (at least not a northern one) but my parents visited Birecik in 1990 (the year after the wild population became extinct) and spent the night in their camper van next to the bald ibis enclosure.

I found this interesting article about the Syrian population:

http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/006/Y5097E/y5097e06.htm

[jurek]

Thanks for intersting articles.

Bald Ibis actually nested in more places in C Europe, including (today) Hungary and Czech republic and somewhere on territory of former Yugoslavia (maybe Slovenia).

Funny it seems that it was actually commensal of man in Europe, sometimes breeding on town walls and required areas opened by agriculture for feeding. Unfortunately, chicks were eaten and it was apparently over-exploited to death.

[James Lowther]

there is a picture on birdguides of a party of 'glossy ibis' in flight seen from the Zahara-barbate road in Andalucia (check out the great lesser kestrel shot also). Without my guide i can't tell but is there any chance these are reintroduced bald ibis??

[Capercaillie71]

there is a picture on birdguides of a party of 'glossy ibis' in flight seen from the Zahara-barbate road in Andalucia (check out the great lesser kestrel shot also). Without my guide i can't tell but is there any chance these are reintroduced bald ibis??


Someone from Birdguides must have read your post James, because they seem to be labelled as bald ibis now, if these are the photos you are referring to:

http://www.birdguides.com/birdnews/worldpictures.asp?search=1&range=1&species=24007

[Capercaillie71]

In the meantime there is another important thing - catch few last Bald Ibis breeding in Syria and fit them with satellite transmitter. Every year fewer birds return to Syria (although they raise young quite succesfully) and evidently they face large mortality somewhere on their unknown migrating or wintering route.

Looks like your wish has been fulfilled:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/international/conservation/taggingsuccess.asp

[jurek]

Very good! I hope that transmiters will work and ibis will be protected!

[jurek]

Bald Ibis migration progress in now online:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/tracking/northern_bald_ibis.asp

Amazing how fast they fly! :bounce:

If I had one more wish ;) it would be checking cause of winter mortality in Morocco and if supplementary feeding, well established in Austria, can be of help. Ibis breed well, but post-fledging survival is apparently not so good in Morocco.

[DKR]

Bald Ibis migration progress in now online:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/tracking/northern_bald_ibis.asp

Amazing how fast they fly! :bounce:

If I had one more wish ;) it would be checking cause of winter mortality in Morocco and if supplementary feeding, well established in Austria, can be of help. Ibis breed well, but post-fledging survival is apparently not so good in Morocco.Great web page by the RSPB.

I just hope the current conflict in the Middle East doesn't inhibit the conservation effort next Spring.

[deborah4]

In the meantime there is another important thing - catch few last Bald Ibis breeding in Syria and fit them with satellite transmitter. Every year fewer birds return to Syria (although they raise young quite succesfully) and evidently they face large mortality somewhere on their unknown migrating or wintering route. Probably they are shot by mistake or feed on some field sprayed with pesticides.

Hi Jurek

Just brought this up on the 'war' thread - I totally agree, can't think why this is not done other than lack of resources - considering the inaccessibility of much of the Middle East, in trying to locate their wintering ground. This added with the possibility that armed conflicts in the Middle Eastern area could claim migratory casualties en route, it seems the last hope to save the few remaining birds from what I think is the last 'original' breeding site of the NBI. (interestingly, these birds are featured on heiroglyphics in Egypt, so presumably at once time, they populated areas around the Nile at least)

Good news though David with the European birds

[deborah4]

Apologies for not reading earlier few posts on Syrian NBI !!! Thanks Capercaille71 for the link - this is fantastic news :t: Let's hope the transmitters are successful and the winter home can be found - I have tried to keep track of conservation efforts with this group after first seeing a programme about the Syrian discovery several years back so am particulary relieved!

[foxsparrow]

Success of the Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita reintroduction scheme – the birds remain in their winter quarters for the time being

7 Bald Ibis were escorted by an ultra-light aircraft from Scharnstein, Upper Austria to the WWF reserve Oasis Laguna di Orbetello in Tuscany. They have spent the winter there, and are being cared for by minders they relate to. .



According to information from the SOM (Modena Ornithological Station), five Bald Ibis have been present since August 19, 2006,at La Tomina reserve, N of Modena, NE Italy. The birds, all Austrian ringed 2cy, are coming from the WWF reserve Oasis Laguna di Orbetello in Tuscany, C Italy. Two pictures and more info in my blog:
http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/birdingitalynet/

[DKR]

Some of the birds are in Ethiopia now. Not sure if this is a good thing. I went to a talk about the Syrian bald ibis project at the Birdfair and the lecturer was worried that they would go to Somalia. Probably because conservation measures would be impossible to implement there. Don't know if Ethiopia is any better?

[Jos Stratford]

Some of the birds are in Ethiopia now. Not sure if this is a good thing. I went to a talk about the Syrian bald ibis project at the Birdfair and the lecturer was worried that they would go to Somalia. Probably because conservation measures would be impossible to implement there. Don't know if Ethiopia is any better?

Huge numbers of birds winter/migrate through Ethiopia, I would not see it as significantly risky. I'd be a lot more concerned if they had chosen to migrate over certain European states such as Malta.

Regarding Somalia, a glimmer of good news emerged from the country this week - the Islamic Court, more or less the de facto government, opened the national port this week for the first time in a decade and, rather nice as one of their first policies, announced controls would be imposed to ensure wildlife products and logging would not be exploited.

[deborah4]

Huge numbers of birds winter/migrate through Ethiopia, I would not see it as significantly risky. I'd be a lot more concerned if they had chosen to migrate over certain European states such as Malta.
.

The birds now in Central Ethiopia, are the 3 individuals that were satelite tagged from the critically endangered Syrian colony (who's wintering ground is yet to be confirmed) and not the European re-introduced birds to which this thread refers. Their migration route has so far taken them on a coastal route south to Yemen, and across to Ethiopia. They would have been very unlikely I would have thought to have chosen to migrate over European states. At the moment, they are still in C. Ethiopia but may even continue on towards Kenya or the Congo.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=63938

Regarding Somalia - It would be very surpising, I think, for the Syrian birds to turn aside into Somalia now that they are in C.Ethiopia, when they could have gone more directly from Yemen - but who knows!? (It does look as if they are keeping to inland water routes at the moment)

[foxsparrow]

Last Minute: the 5 birds of the La Tomina reserve, near Modena, have disappeared the morning of 24th, while today 2 Bald Ibis were recorded in direct fly and soaring over the Asolo hills, near Treviso, NE Italy, by Gianfranco Martignago, Franco Trave, Francesco Mezzavilla & Fabio Piccolo.
Cheers

[Jos Stratford]

Their migration route has so far taken them on a coastal route south to Yemen, and across to Ethiopia. They would have been very unlikely I would have thought to have chosen to migrate over European states.


Hi,

yep, realised they were the Syrian birds and would agree they are most unlikely to wander into European territories - it was just a comment on the thought that birds might be at a greater threat in a state such as Ethiopia.
Travelled widely in that country and, though the kids are far from little angels, birdlife is abundant.

Regarding Somalia - It would be very surpising, I think, for the Syrian birds to turn aside into Somalia now that they are in C.Ethiopia, when they could have gone more directly from Yemen - but who knows!?

I have no idea on where the Bald Ibis are likely to end up (don't think anybody does), but a lot of birds have circular migrations once into Africa, so Somalia could possibly be on the return route.


PS also travelled to Syria several times ...but unfortunately before the Ibis were discovered there :) Mind you, seen them in Turkey and Morocco, so no complaints