Young northern bald ibises reach Spanish wintering grounds
Fifteen young birds have reached their destination after a human-guided migration of more than 2,500 kilometres.
Fifteen young northern bald ibises have arrived at their wintering grounds near Vejer de la Frontera in Andalusia. The birds are part of a European reintroduction project and will be released into the wild after a period of acclimatisation.
The birds set off from Germany on 23 August and covered most of the route behind an ultralight aircraft. According to the Waldrappteam, the last group arrived at the project’s aviary on 2 October. The first part of the group had already arrived in Spain on 13 September. In total, the team travelled more than 2,500 kilometres.
The young birds were raised in captivity by human foster parents. During training, they learned to follow an aircraft and thereby learn a migration route to a suitable wintering ground. After arriving, they will initially remain in a protected environment. The plan is to release them this winter near an existing colony.
The northern bald ibis disappeared from large parts of Europe centuries ago. Reintroduction projects are trying to rebuild colonies in Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain. The Waldrappteam works with zoos, conservation organisations and European partners, and tracks the birds, among other methods, using GPS transmitters.
The Guardian describes the Spanish group as part of a broader attempt to establish a self-sustaining population. In the project area near Alt Empordà, work is under way on a new colony and on protection during migration. According to researchers involved, mortality on the guided route has fallen as a result of the experience gained in previous years.
The arrival is demonstrably a successful part of the project, but not proof that the species has already been sustainably restored. The birds still have to be released, survive and later begin breeding themselves. The encouraging news is that the method has once again brought young birds to a suitable route and wintering ground; the long-term result will have to emerge from the next generations.
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The arrival, route and planned release were checked with the project itself and with The Guardian. The text makes clear that this is a successful project result, not proven recovery of the species as a whole.
- confirmed Fifteen northern bald ibises reached their wintering grounds near Vejer de la Frontera on 2 October. — The Waldrappteam reports the arrival of the fifteen remaining birds. source
- confirmed The journey began on 23 August and covered more than 2,500 kilometres. — These details appear in the project’s migration diary. source
- confirmed The birds will be released after acclimatisation in Spain. — The project describes the planned release in winter. source
- confirmed Guided migration is part of a broader European reintroduction effort. — The Waldrappteam describes the LIFE project structure and its partners. source
- uncertain The species as a whole has been sustainably restored. — That is precisely not claimed; the text states that long-term recovery remains to be seen. source
Editor's note
It is certain that fifteen birds reached the wintering grounds on 2 October and, according to the project, will later be released. It cannot yet be concluded that the species as a whole has recovered.Sources
- Migration 2026 — Waldrappteam
- Rare northern bald ibises take flight in human-led European migration project — The Guardian
- LIFE Northern Bald Ibis — Waldrapp
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „noordelijke kaalkopibis”
- Trouw — „noordelijke kaalkopibis”
- RTL Nieuws — „noordelijke kaalkopibis”