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Post by Melanie on Jan 12, 2008 18:00:04 GMT
Hopes for the survival of the rare northern bald ibis have been raised with two unexpected sightings 1,500 miles apart.
The species was thought to be extinct until six birds were found in 2002, and it has now been seen in Djibouti, East Africa, for the first time, and in the Jordan Valley for the first time in 13 years.
Jeremy Lindsell, a research biologist at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said: “These sightings are great news. They were entirely unexpected and in some ways deepen the mystery of where they go on migration.”
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Post by Melanie on Oct 27, 2008 9:53:28 GMT
Poison blamed for Critical deaths 27-08-2008 Three Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita have been found poisoned in a remote Jordanian desert, hundreds of miles from their breeding grounds in Turkey. The three birds were being tracked by satellite after leaving Birecik, south-eastern Turkey, where one of only four colonies of Bald Ibis remains. The birds were found 32 kilometres from the Jordanian capital, Amman. Autopsies have ruled out electrocution and shooting. Scientists are investigating the source of the poison and believe it may have been laid by chicken farmers in order to kill rodents. “The deaths are heartbreaking but they may not have died in vain. They came from a semi-captive population and the fact that they left the colony proves they haven’t lost their migratory instincts”, said Jose Tavares, the RSPB’s (BirdLife in the UK) Country Programme Officer for Turkey. “The birds flew via Palmyra in Syria, where a tiny colony hangs on, which means birds we release from Turkey next year could join the group in Syria.” “It was sad news for RCSN to discover that these Bald Ibis were poisoned in Jordan. RSCN and BirdLife in the Middle East are cooperating with specialist labs in Jordan to identify the poison. Based on the results we will take this up with the Ministries of the Environment and Agriculture to try and control the use of this poison”, said Yehya Khaled, RCSN (BirdLife in Jordan). "RSCN and BirdLife in the Middle East are cooperating with specialist labs in Jordan to identify the poison" —Yehya Khaled, RCSN (BirdLife in Jordan) The Northern Bald Ibis’s migratory habits have baffled conservationists for years but in 2006, BirdLife International and the Syrian Government, tracked the 3,800-mile round trip of adult birds from Syria, finding new wintering grounds in Ethiopia. But young birds were never seen on migration and scientists fear they face mystery threats on an entirely different over-wintering route. Sharif Al Ibour of BirdLife in the Middle East, who found the dead birds, said: “We know where the adults go but it’s crucial we follow the young birds’ migration route so that we can protect them in winter and help them return to Turkey and Syria to breed.” To solve the riddle, more Turkish birds will be tagged next year by Czech expert Lubomir Peske. These birds will be followed to see if they join and boost the numbers of the tiny colony in Palmyra. The tracking project has boosted hopes for Northern Bald Ibis in the Middle East with conservationists now more optimistic that they can re-establish a completely wild population in Turkey. “The people of Birecik have been hugely supportive. The bird is cherished and celebrated by all those who live there and is the gleaming symbol of the town council. Hopefully we will now be able to return these birds to the wild there”, said Dr Ozge Balkiz from Doða Derneði (BirdLife in Turkey). "A huge effort has been made to reveal the mystery of these lovely creatures’ migration, and we are a few steps from a significant and outstanding discovery", said Khaldoun Alomari, Protected Areas Program Officer, IUCN. In response to the threat to so many bird species, BirdLife has launched the Preventing Extinctions Programme. This is spearheading greater conservation action, awareness and funding support for all of the world’s most threatened birds, starting with the 190 species classified as Critically Endangered, the highest level of threat. For more information visit www.birdlife.org/extinction |
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Post by Melanie on Jul 22, 2009 8:56:12 GMT
Northern Bald Ibis gets Royal Support
22-07-2009
One of the rarest birds in North Africa and the Middle East has received a conservation boost from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
Once revered by the Egyptian Pharaohs, Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita has become extinct in the majority of its former range in North Africa, the European Alps and the Middle East, and is now listed as Critically Endangered the highest threat level of extinction. However, ongoing conservation efforts will now benefit from a three year grant from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
During a visit to Monaco, BirdLife Honorary President HIH Princess Takamado of Japan offered HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco the title of BirdLife Species Champion for the Northern Bald Ibis. This is a special recognition that BirdLife grants to individuals, companies or foundations that significantly support targeted conservation efforts for threatened species under the BirdLife Preventing Extinction Programme.
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco commented, “I am delighted to support BirdLife’s conservation efforts for this iconic and Critically Endangered species, and am honoured to be their Species Champion.”
Globally, fewer than 500 individuals of these birds remain in the wild in two separate populations, one in Morocco and the other in Syria. The species has been driven to near extinction by a combination of threats including human persecution, loss of steppe and extensive farmland, pesticide poisoning, human disturbance and development.
Until recently the ibis was considered extinct in the wild in its eastern range, but a small wild colony of birds was discovered in 2002 in a desert location in Syria. Only two pairs currently breed in the colony and there are plans to supplement the population with individuals captive bred in Turkey.
While the Moroccan population is resident, the Eastern population is migratory. Northern Bald Ibis’s migratory habits had baffled conservationists for years but in 2006, BirdLife and the Syrian Government, tracked the 6,100 km round trip of adult birds from Syria, finding new wintering grounds in Ethiopia. But young birds were never seen on migration and scientists fear they face mystery threats on an entirely different over-wintering route.
“I am delighted to support BirdLife’s conservation efforts for this iconic and Critically Endangered species, and am honoured to be their Species Champion” —HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco
The support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation will help continue the work of protecting the ibis colonies, monitoring and tracking individuals as they migrate, and hopefully elucidate one of the last remaining mysteries; the migratory route and wintering grounds of juvenile birds.
BirdLife CEO Marco Lambertini and Bernard Fautrier CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation have also signed a MoU that commits the two organisations to increase communications and collaboration for the benefit of biodiversity and the environment.
The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation aims to be a catalyst for environmental projects. It promotes the sustainable and equitable management of natural resources and places the individual at the centre of its projects. It encourages the implementation of innovative and ethical solutions in three main areas: climate change, safeguarding biodiversity and access to water.
Two Northern Bald Ibis were caught at the beginning of July and fitted with satellite tags in the Syrian desert. As one of the birds is a sub-adult, it is hoped that they will now lead researchers to their wintering grounds.
General Ali Hamoud, General Manager of the Desert Commission who oversees the Syrian Government’s protection programme said ‘This is excellent news. We hope that this tagging success will lead us to uncover the mystery of where the young birds winter so that we can undertake conservation measures there. So few young birds return that it seems they face difficulties to survive at present’
This success comes after a disappointing breeding season amid a second year of serious drought in the Syrian desert. Despite heroic efforts by local wardens and Bedouin rangers who have mounted 24 hour patrols and provided water points, no young were reared for the second successive year. The known population currently stands at two breeding pairs and one sub-adult bird.
This news is brought to you by the BirdLife Species Champions and the British Birdwatching Fair - official sponsor of the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme
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Post by Melanie on Sept 25, 2009 9:18:24 GMT
Hunting: an extinction threat to Middle East's most threatened bird 25-09-2009 Conservationists trying to prevent the extinction of Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita are distraught that one of the last remaining wild birds in the Middle East has been shot by a hunter in Saudi Arabia, bringing the known wild Middle Eastern population of this Critically Endangered species to just four individuals. Formerly, the range of this species extended across parts of southern and central Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. It even features in the hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt. Following a huge population and range decline, the bulk of the wild population of 210 birds now occurs in Morocco, but a tiny population was rediscovered in 2002, in Syria. A satellite-tracking project led by BirdLife International and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in collaboration with the Desert Commission of the Syrian Government, established that the Syrian adults migrate to the Ethiopian highlands each winter, but the wintering area of younger birds remains a mystery. This migration across the deserts of the Middle East to north-east Africa puts these birds under threat from the region’s many hunters. Researchers from BirdLife, the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) and IUCN, trying to find out more about the movements of the young birds, fitted two birds with satellite tags, and it is one of these birds – a female – which was shot. "We were excited that tagging a sub-adult ibis may have helped us to solve the mystery of where young ibises spend the winter, but now we may never know", said Eng. Ali Hamoud, of the Syrian Desert Commission. "The shooting of a young bird from such a tiny population is devastating news and it shows that hunting is a major threat to this species." "It is essential for the future of this population that they have safe passage through the region during their migration" —Sharif Jbour, BirdLife Dr Jeremy Lindsell, the RSPB scientist in charge of the ibis satellite-tracking project, said: "Recovery of the population from this frighteningly low level is going to be exceedingly difficult, but everyone involved in the project believes we must do everything we can to provide hope for this culturally-important icon of the Middle East. The tiny Syrian population has been breeding very well since its discovery, although it has suffered two poor years. The low rate of return of young birds to the colony shows that they are being lost somewhere on migration. We are starting to discover what the problem might be." Three birds from a semi-captive population in Turkey were released last year to see if they would migrate. They flew south as far as Jordan, but subsequently were found dead. Initially, it was feared they had been poisoned, but later it was realised that the birds had been electrocuted, emphasising that other threats can have a devastating impact on the future of the Northern Bald Ibis in the Middle East. More satellite-tagged birds released from Turkey this year, flew south as far as Saudi Arabia but they too disappeared not much more than 100 km from where the Syrian bird was shot. Although their fate has not been established, researchers believe these birds too may have succumbed to hunters. Mahmoud Abdullah A Northern Bald Ibis is fitted with a satellite transmitter in Syria Zoom In The hunting of Northern Bald Ibis is not allowed in Saudi Arabia. HH Prince Bandar Bin Saud the Secretary General of NCWCD (National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development) said: “Upon hearing the news of Northern Bald Ibises in Saudi Arabia, NCWCD immediately reacted and dispatched a team to search for the birds. Local people reported to the commission that an ibis had been shot illegally by hunters. "The NCWCD regrets this incident in the country and stands ready to support all concerned institutions – governments and NGOs to conserve wildlife at national, regional and global levels in accordance with instructions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, HRH the Crown Prince and the Second Premier", HH Prince Bandar Bin Saud continued. On migration, the remaining ibises nesting in Syria pass through Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Djibouti, Eritrea, finally wintering in Ethiopia. Sharif Jbour, of Birdlife in the Middle East, said "Now that the threats to this species are becoming clear we will be doing all we can to address them. It is essential for the future of this population that they have safe passage through the region during their migration. With so many countries involved this is a great challenge but we already have high level support in many of these countries, so we are hopeful of change." As a response to the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco became Species Champion for Northern Bald Ibis, earlier this year, providing crucial support to this challenging programme through the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. BirdLife is more determined than ever to conserve this emblematic species that has braved the Middle East and north African deserts for millennia inspiring cultures and religions of the region. This news is brought to you by the BirdLife Species Champions and the British Birdwatching Fair - official sponsor of the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/nbi_shooting.html |
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Post by Melanie on May 10, 2013 14:24:13 GMT
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Post by Sebbe on Sept 8, 2014 19:05:45 GMT
According to the September issue of African Bird Club three adults was found in Ethiopia in February 2014, only one of these have been identified (the same female found in 2013).
Though given the civil war in Syria the future of this population is surely very bleak.
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Post by Melanie on Jan 9, 2015 23:24:45 GMT
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Post by Melanie on Feb 18, 2016 22:12:21 GMT
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Post by surroundx on Dec 2, 2016 10:46:52 GMT
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Post by surroundx on Jan 21, 2017 9:54:27 GMT
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Post by surroundx on May 29, 2017 6:16:41 GMT
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Post by Melanie on Aug 7, 2017 3:45:11 GMT
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Post by surroundx on Nov 25, 2017 2:32:28 GMT
Important new breeding sites of mythical ibis discoveredIt has had a dramatic history and was almost lost to extinction. Now this Critically Endangered bird is bouncing back with record breeding success in Morocco in 2017. As the day drew to a close, the orange light reflecting from the Atlantic seemed to soften the texture of the sun-baked Moroccan cliffs so much so they looked like they could crumble in an instant. There the birds were: perched on a couple of sloping, sandstone ledges, an entire colony of about 20 settling in for the night, low squawks and rustles heard above the scouring waves only a few metres below. Birds often nest in precarious places, and despite the cliffs in Tamri, southwest Morocco, actually being pretty strong, by knowing this species’ Critically Endangered status, you cannot help but feel a little worried for these large, iridescent-black creatures. Throughout history, Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita has had a turbulent relationship with humans. This mythical bald bird with a punkish crest once had an extensive range that spread across North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, and has been idolised by humans as symbols of fertility and virtue, even mummified to accompany Ancient Egyptian royalty. Read more: www.birdlife.org/worldwide/news/important-new-breeding-sites-mythical-ibis-discovered
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Post by surroundx on Mar 13, 2018 10:55:18 GMT
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Post by surroundx on Apr 25, 2018 10:38:29 GMT
Safriel, U. N. (1980). Notes on the extinct population of the Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in the Syrian desert. Ibis 122(1): 82-88. [ Abstract] |
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Post by surroundx on Apr 29, 2018 8:01:33 GMT
Spergser, J. et al. (2018). The cultivable autochthonous microbiota of the critically endangered Northern bald ibis ( Geronticus eremita). PLoS One 13(4): e0195255. [ Abstract] |
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Post by Melanie on Jul 23, 2018 8:40:26 GMT
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Post by Melanie on Sept 8, 2019 9:24:04 GMT
Rediscovered in 1825 by Friedrich Wilhelm Hemprich and Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in Africa though it last until 1897 when Rothschild, Hartert and Kleinschmidt could proof that Geronticus (Comatibis) comatus from Africa, Turkey, and Syria was identical with the thought to be extinct Geronticus eremita from Central Europe.
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Post by koeiyabe on Dec 28, 2019 19:47:08 GMT
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Post by Sebbe on Feb 9, 2021 11:13:35 GMT
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