Sacred Ibis - Algarve (1 Viewer)

Hi all,

Last Wednesday, 26th February, I saw a Sacred Ibis at Boca do Rio (roughly halfway between Sagres and Lagos). It was feeding next to a Grey Heron.

There have been several records of Sacred Ibises in the Algarve in the last few years. The following is a list of all records all I able to find:


2009
Several records of single birds. It is not clear if there were two different individuals on June 27.
7-May - Lagoa dos Salgados (R. Eufrásia);
6-Jun - rice fields near Silves (J. L. Almeida);
27-Jun- adult in saltmarsh near Quinta do Ludo (C. Viney)
27-Jun - rice fields of Quinta da Vala, Silves (J. L. Almeida)
25-Nov - rice fields of quinta do Rosário, Lagoa (J. Valkenburg)


2010
A flock of 5 birds was seen on several occasions in 2010 and 2011.
19-Jun - subad. in rice fields of Quinta da Vala (Nelson Fonseca);
23-Set - 2 at Ludo, near Faro (C. Pacheco)
14-Oct - 1 between Ludo and Ilha de Faro. (V. Azevedo)
12-Nov - 3 at Ria de Alvor (G. Réthoré)
23-Nov - 1 at ria Formosa, near Ilha de Faro (C. Pacheco)
14-Dec - 1 feeding in the muds of ria Formosa, near Quinta do Ludo (C. Pacheco)
15-Dec - 5 at ria de Alvor (G. Réthoré)


2011
The 5 birds were seen during the first part of the year (with 6 birds present on one occasion). Seen in the western Algarve until March and then in Ludo in October.
15-Jan - 5 at paul de Lagos (S. Wates);
20-Feb - Lagoa – 6 inds. at a small wetland near Lagoa (M. Themme, R. Eufrásia & J. Ministro)
note: this is the only sighting of 6 birds together
16-Mar - 1 flying over rice fields near Fatacil, Lagoa (J. Pereira)
21-Mar - 5 at Ria de Alvor (G. Réthoré)
25-Mar - 3 at ria de Alvor (J. L. Almeida, L. Venâncio)
20-Apr - 1 at Ria de Alvor (G. Réthoré, F. Bragança)
1-Jun - 1 at paul de Lagos (S. Wates)
26-Jun - 1 at Salgados do Fialho near Faro (M. Mendes)
05-Oct - 5 near Quinta do Ludo, Faro - (P. Dedicoat, J. Taylor)
23-Oct - 2 (adult + imm.) at Quinta do Ludo, Faro (J. T. Tavares)


2012
The maximum number of birds this year was 2, wit most records in Ria Formosa and in the surrounding areas.
3-Jan - 1 at Ria Formosa (S. Priestnall)
29-Feb - 2 at Paul de Lagos (F. Bragança)
21-Mar - 2 at Ria Formosa seen from the road leading to Praia de Faro (M. Dias)
30-Jun - 1 flying over former rice fields, close to A22, Lagoa (S. Roda e S. Campos)
28-Aug - adult at paul de Lagos (P. Pinto)
21-Oct - 1 at Ludo (G. Réthoré e outros)
28-Oct - 1 at Ria Formosa, between airport and ilha de Faro (M. Rodrigues)
8-Nov - 1 at Quinta do Lago, Almancil. (M. Davis)


2013
Only single birds were seen this year
19-Apr - Sítio das Fontes-Estômbar, Lagoa, (A. Aguileira)
23-May - Quinta das Alagoas, Lagoa, (J. Pereira, P. Ramalho, A. Costa)
2-Jun - Lagos (P. Pinto)
17-Aug - Quinta do Lago, Loulé, (P. Alvito)
6-Sep - Ludo, Faro, (M. Sousa & P. Reis)
5-Oct - Olhão sewage works, (M. Mendes)


2014
Only one record so far, which happens to be the first west of Lagos:
26-Feb - Boca do Rio, Vila do Bispo (G. Elias)

Hi Gonçalo, is anyone considering the possibility that any records of this species in Portugal could be from wld populations? I know they migrate north according to rainfall in Africa but surely these birds are from the feral colonies in France.

From the data collected in Portugal its clear that records are decreasing recently, which can only be good news I would have thought, given their propensity to decimate tern colonies.

Hi Simon, I think at this stage nobody knows for sure where these birds come from.

When I found the 5 at Paul de Lagos I have to admit it was not an exciting experience - in fact I was worried! I know we cannot be sure but proving their origin is going to be impossible - till they are seen crossing the Strait of Gibraltar

Interesting record of half a dozen birds in Fuerteventura - probably from the local zoo:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=277910

I doubt that these birds come from sub-Saharan Africa - they are resident there, as far as I know.

Gonçalo Elias said:

I doubt that these birds come from sub-Saharan Africa - they are resident there, as far as I know.

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I never thought they did - just wondering how far the French birds are wandering.

I agree Simon, but French origin is just one of the possibilities.

Back in 1998, three birds escaped from a zoo Montemor-o-Velho (central Portugal, west of Coimbra) and bred freely in the Mondego area. They raised three chicks and the six birds stayed around that same year until October.

Gonçalo Elias said:

I agree Simon, but French origin is just one of the possibilities.

Back in 1998, three birds escaped from a zoo Montemor-o-Velho (central Portugal, west of Coimbra) and bred freely in the Mondego area. They raised three chicks and the six birds stayed around that same year until October.

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I remember that - the species is also present at Lagos zoo - along with Marbled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Barnacle Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, aghh!

I once saw 3 Ruddy Shelducks flying over the Mata de Barão, which was very bizarre and exciting until they completed a large circle back to the damned zoo!

Years ago I approached them to try and establish a gentleman's agreement to let the birders know about anything they lost and for us to let them know we if we find something. They weren't interested. A couple of years later a Demoiselle Crane turned up on a private garden by a swimming pool in Luz - I was called, went down and then called the zoo - 2 guys in a little white van appeared and captured it and drove off without so much as a thank-you.

Simon Wates said:

I once saw 3 Ruddy Shelducks flying over the Mata de Barão, which was very bizarre and exciting until they completed a large circle back to the damned zoo!

Click to expand...

lol

Gonçalo Elias said:

lol

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I was in the woods at the time so it was totally unexpected - almost frightening.
There's some great habitat very close to the zoo with a very nice selection of breeding woodland birds, oh and Ruddy Shelduck!

Yesterday there were TWO Sacred Ibises at Boca do Rio and guess what: one of them had a ring on it!

Take a look:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151912348232105&set=gm.220412788149363&type=1&theater