Endangered Bird Nests in Spain for 2nd Time in 500 Years

Last year one of the most critically endangered birds in the world, the Northern Bald Ibis, nested in Spain for the 1st time in 500 years. Terrific news has now arrived that a pair is nesting again in the same location this year.

The current worldwide population of wild Northern Bald Ibises is thought to be around 510 in total, with around 500 of these individuals living in Morocco. In the last century the population of Northern Bald Ibises has declined by approximately 98% because of hunting, habitat loss, and pesticides. Its once great range is now small.

What’s most encouraging about the ibises in Spain’s Natural Park of Brena is that they were born in captivity, and are the first pair to successfully nest in the wild– an indication that captive breeding programs might work for this species. An estimated 1,000 ibises are currently living in captivity.

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Northern bald ibises nest on cliffs in colonies and mate for life with their partners, starting around age 3. Their nests are made of sticks. In the past they were a migratory bird species, but now as their numbers are limited in the wild that is not so. Their diet consists mostly of lizards and insects.

A team of climbers recently went to check on the nesting pair in Spain and discovered that one chick had already hatched, while two more unhatched eggs remained in the nest. This is good news. Five other pairs of ibises are also producing eggs in captivity in Spain, and it is hoped that they too will eventually be released into the same area. The conservation groups working on the project hope that an eventual population of around 30 birds can live in the area and be studied to better understand if reintroduction will work for the species in Spain.

Photo Credit: Richard Bartz via Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons license

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