Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) (6 Viewers)

[Mohamed Amezian]

My understanding is that all Spanish birds have rings ......

Indeed John. José Manuel López Vázquez, the coordinator of the Reintroduction Program of the Bald Ibis in Andalusia, confirmed this. They must have come from the Moroccan breeding population, a great dispersion distance for a 'sedentary population'.

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

Movements across the Strait of Gibraltar

Two Northern Bald Ibises were photographed at Larache, northern Morocco by Imad Yassine (today). The birds were not ringed

11 Northern Bald Ibises crossed the Strait from Spain to Morocco on 23 September 2016 (Yeray Seminario). They were all colour-ringed in the framework of the Reintroduction Project in Andalusia. Given the fact that birds from the wild population in the Souss region also disperse to northern Morocco, it’s a matter of time before we see mixed flocks somewhere.

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

Morocco

Yet another good breeding season:

Ooubrou, W. & El Bekkay, M. 2016. Rapport sur la saison de reproduction de l’Ibis Chauve Geronticus eremita dans la région de Souss-Massa. Parc National de Souss-Massa, HCEFLCD. 7pp
PDF

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

Middle East & East Africa

Serra G. 2017. The Last Flight of the Ancient Guide of Hajj. Self published. Apia, Samoa. 74 pp
PDF available at: www.thelastflight.org or here.

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

Movements across the Strait of Gibraltar

Muñoz, A.-R. & Ramírez, J. (2017). Reintroduced northern bald ibises from Spain reach Morocco. Oryx 51: 204–205.
Free access (now)

See also this blog from Nov. 2016: http://www.magornitho.org/2016/11/migration-reintroduced-bald-ibis/

 

[jurek]

I am afraid more of safety of Spanish-derived birds, which in northern Morocco are at increased risk of pesticide poisoning and shooting.

Maybe it would be worthwhile to re-introduce Bald Ibises in a second region of Iberian Peninsula?

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

I am afraid more of safety of Spanish-derived birds, which in northern Morocco are at increased risk of pesticide poisoning and shooting.

Maybe it would be worthwhile to re-introduce Bald Ibises in a second region of Iberian Peninsula?

Wow! We should not exaggerate things and start asking negative questions when we have zero data, that's called (choose your word).

Just a reminder, migratory birds belong to all the lands they visit, so obviously these visiting birds are ours as well (that means we can take care of them as well, as we took/take care of the only wild and viable population in the world).

 

[Gladiator96]

thought this might be of interest

https://www.timesofmalta.com/articl...visitor-drops-in.660520#.WeOW0HbVA10.facebook

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

New breeding colonies in Morocco

Breeding range expansion of Northern Bald Ibis in Morocco: two new sites found outside the known breeding area.

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

Flight physiology

Stanclova, G., Schwendenwein, I., Merkel, O., Kenner, L., Dittami, J., Fritz, J. & Scope, A. (2017). The effects of migratory flight on hematologic parameters in Northern Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 48: 1154–1164. doi: 10.1638/2016-0258.1

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

Is the reintroduction of Northern Bald Ibis north of the Alps justified or not? Read both points of view about this question in these 2 papers published recently in Vogelwarte (PDF of the whole issue, 6.3 Mo):

Fritz, J. & Unsöld, M. 2015. Internationaler Artenschutz im Kontext der IUCN Reintroduction Guidelines: Argumente zur Wiederansiedlung des Waldrapps Geronticus eremita in Europa. Vogelwarte 53: 157-168.
(International wildlife conservation in the context of the IUCN Reintroduction Guidelines: Arguments for the reintroduction of the Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in Europe)

Landmann, A. 2015. Bestandsschutz, Bestandsstützung, Wiederansiedlung oder Auswilderung - Wie kann oder soll der Waldrapp Geronticus eremita geschützt werden? Vogelwarte 53: 169-180.
(In situ conservation, reinforcement, reintroduction or conservation introduction - How can we, how should we protect the endangered Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita?)

The discussion continued in Vogelwarte 55 (2):

Schenker, A. 2017. Replik zum Beitrag von Armin Landmann betreffend den Waldrapp Geronticus eremita. Vogelwarte 53: 169-180. Vogelwarte 55: 129–138. PDF
(Counter statement to the contribution of A. Landmann concerning the Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita)

Reply:

Landmann, A. 2017. Belege – Indizien – Behauptungen – Legenden – Wunschdenken: Wie fundiert sind Argumente für die Auswilderung des Waldrapp (Geronticus eremita) in Mitteleuropa? — eine Antwort auf die Replik von Schenker 2017. Vogelwarte 55: 139–140. Unabridged version.
(Proof – Signs – Claims – Legends – Wishful Thinking: How justified are releasing projects for the Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) in Central Europe? – a reply to Schenker 2017)

See also:

Fritz, J., Wirtz, S. & Unsöld, M. 2017. Aspekte der Nahrungsökologie und Genetik des Waldrapps: Reply zu Bauer et al. (2016) Vogelneozoen in Deutschland - Revision der nationalen Statuseinstufungen. Vogelwarte 55: 141-145. PDF
(Aspects of the biology and genetic of the Northern Bald Ibis: Reply to Bauer et al. (2016) Bird Neozoa in Germany – Revision of the national status rating).

 

[jurek]

It would be interesting to extract ancient DNA from those bones of Bald Ibis from European Middle Ages settlements and see their relations. Anyway, it seems that Moroccan and Middle Eastern populations are very similar anyway, below the level of subspecies.

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

Breeding season 2018 in Morocco

Good breeding season for the Northern Bald Ibis in Morocco. In 2018, a record number of 147 breeding pairs produced 170 juveniles.

These good results, year after year, are the main reason why the species was down-listed from ‘Critically Endangered’ to ‘Endangered’ in late 2018.

 

[Nutcracker]

Good breeding season for the Northern Bald Ibis in Morocco. In 2018, a record number of 147 breeding pairs produced 170 juveniles.

These good results, year after year, are the main reason why the species was down-listed from ‘Critically Endangered’ to ‘Endangered’ in late 2018.

Excellent news!

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

Impact of GPS tracking

Fritz, J., Eberhard, B. Esterer, C. Trobe, D. & Scope, A. 2019. Unilateral corneal opacity as a result of GPS tracking in a European Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) population released in the context of a LIFE+ reintroduction project. Short communication by Waldrappteam.

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

Turkey

Dinç, H., Yiğin, A. & Bozkaya, F. 2019. Trace elements and metal content in the feathers of the Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita). Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 17:14823-14834.

As a side note, the only mention of Morocco in the article unfortunately gave wrong information. Quote:

"There are three different breeding centers in different locations of the world, including the Birecik district of Turkey, Fas in Morocco and Palmyra in Syria".

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

An important recent paper not mentioned here yet. It stresses the importance of the human factor (low disturbance at the breeding sites) for the survival of the species in Morocco. The other main factor is the availability of good feeding areas near the colonies.

It's nice to see that the local populations finally get the recognition they deserve (because they are one of the main source of disturbance or its lack thereof). Their contribution has been especially crucial for the period before the creation of the Souss Massa National Park and the start of conservation efforts.

Schenker, A., Cahenzli, F., Gutbrod, K. G., Thévenot, M. & Erhardt, A. 2020. The Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in Morocco since 1900: Analysis of ecological requirements. Bird Conservation International 30: 117-138. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270919000170

 

[gerald762]

Low disturbance is clearly a good thing. However one of the main breeding sites in Spain is next to a busy road, next door to a busy bar/restaurant. The birds are totally unbothered!

 

[jurek]

In the Middle East, too, bald ibis nested in cities.

I would guess that the main danger is pesticide use, and 'long distance from human habitations' is simply a proxy of low pesticide use. Independently of whether I am right, it is worth knowing the actual pesticide use locally in any work related to bald ibis.

 

[Nutcracker]

Low disturbance is clearly a good thing. However one of the main breeding sites in Spain is next to a busy road, next door to a busy bar/restaurant. The birds are totally unbothered!

In the Middle East, too, bald ibis nested in cities.

I would guess that the main danger is pesticide use, and 'long distance from human habitations' is simply a proxy of low pesticide use. Independently of whether I am right, it is worth knowing the actual pesticide use locally in any work related to bald ibis.

It'll also depend on local attitudes in the past - if the birds were harassed or persecuted in any way, even by just one or two individuals, it could take them a long time (even generations?) to overcome their fear of humans.