Satellite tracking reveals the migration route and wintering area of the Middle East population of Critically Endangered northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita

Lindsell, Jeremy A.; Serra, Gianluca; Peške, Lubomír; Abdullah, Mahmoud S.; Qaim, Ghazy al; Kanani, Ahmed; Wondafrash, Mengistu

doi:10.1017/s0030605309001963

Cited by 24 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 9 publications

(8 reference statements)

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“…Lindsell et al 2009). According to an extensive survey conducted in 2002, the sharp population decline in Syria started in the 1980s (Serra et al 2003): before that, hundreds of Northern Bald Ibises were still breeding in the Syrian desert, scattered in a number of nesting sites, two of which were of remarkable size, amounting to hundreds of pairs (Serra et al 2003), consistent with reports by Aharoni (1911).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Breeding ecology and behaviour of the last wild oriental Northern Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita) in Syria

Serra¹,

Peške

Abdallah³

et al. 2009

J Ornithol

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A relict colony of Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita), a critically endangered species, was unexpectedly discovered in Syria in 2002. During six subsequent breeding seasons (2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007), the 3, and then 2, breeding pairs of Northern Bald Ibises have shown to be still vital and, when intensively protected, showed a higher average breeding success than that recorded in Morocco, the only other country where these birds still breed in the wild. During the six breeding seasons, a total of 24 chicks fledged and left the breeding area successfully. Between 2004 and 2007, a total of 5 immature ibises have made a return to the colony, separately and later than adults. As a consequence, two recruitment events have taken place (2006 and 2007), partly compensating for the gradual decrease in the number of adults. Breeding adults arrive from migration during the second half of February, separately, and leave together around mid-July. They nest in cavities and ledges of two limestone cliffs of the central Syria desert, located 20 km apart, well protected from the predominant wind. Breeding behaviour and the cycle are described, summarised and compared with data from the wild colonies of Morocco and the colony of Turkey before the extinction. Key threats still in place at the Syrian breeding quarters are human disturbance during settling and incubation, chick depredation by ravens, uncontrolled hunting and habitat degradation. Recommendations on how to enhance the breeding performance and ensure the survival of this colony in the future are given.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Breeding ecology and behaviour of the last wild oriental Northern Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita) in Syria

Serra¹,

Peške

Abdallah³

et al. 2009

J Ornithol

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“…Based on our detailed knowledge of the ecological requirements of the NBI, we state the following recommendations for possible translocation projects in Morocco some time in the future, and with adaptations to the local conditions, possibly also in Algeria, Turkey and perhaps Syria. For the latter two, migration remains a complex problem (Lindsell et al 2009, Serra et al 2014). A possible approach could be the encouraging experience with human-led migration (Fritz et al 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in Morocco since 1900: Analysis of ecological requirements

Schenker¹,

Cahenzli

Gutbrod

et al. 2019

Bird Conservation International

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SummaryThe Northern Bald Ibis (NBI) Geronticus eremita, is an ‘Endangered’ bird species of which only very few wild breeding colonies have survived along the Atlantic coast of south-west Morocco. This paper analyses ecological conditions of the 72 breeding sites of the NBI that have been known since 1900 in Morocco. Characterisation of breeding sites is based on physical criteria (elevation above sea level, geomorphology, mean annual precipitation and types of landscape) as well as land use, vegetation cover, infrastructure and types of settlement within three perimeters (0–1 km, > 1–5 km and > 5–10(20) km) using Google Earth satellite images. Statistical analyses of the number of breeding pairs, fledglings and rainfall during different quarters of the year from 1994 to 2016 in the two remaining breeding sites in Souss-Massa National Park and Tamri showed expected patterns as well as unexpected differences between the two localities. Based on our findings and indications in the literature, we suggest general and specific recommendations for potential future translocation projects of the NBI. Based on the analysis of the 28 breeding colonies existing after 1977, two elements emerge as the most important prerequisites: a low level of disturbances at the breeding sites and adequate feeding areas at a reasonable distance of 5–15 km.

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“…Although it is unknown how many birds the wild foraging grounds around Birecik can support, we predict that if the size of the population continues to recover to former levels, the foraging range may expand and the birds may start utilising new and possibly more distant foraging locations. Future monitoring may require tracking birds using GPS or satellite transmitters to identify distant foraging locations (Lindsell et al 2009) and ensure that these locations remain suitable.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of feeding ecology on breeding success of a semi-wild population of the critically endangered Northern Bald IbisGeronticus eremitain southern Turkey

Yeniyurt

Oppel

İsfendiyaroğlu

et al. 2016

Bird Conservation International

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SummarySafeguarding threatened species in captivity is a promising management approach, but evaluating the performance of captive programmes is essential to assess reintroduction potential. The eastern population of the Northern Bald Ibis, Geronticus eremita, used to be a locally common migratory bird species, but catastrophic population declines throughout the past century have resulted in a single population in southern Turkey that forages freely during summer but only survives in captivity during winter. We examined whether breeding success of this semi-wild colony was comparable to breeding success of previous wild populations, and to what extent breeding success was influenced by supplementary feeding and wild foraging in habitats near the breeding station. Average productivity from 2009 to 2015 was 1.12 fledglings per nesting pair (range 0.96–1.19). In 2013 and 2014, there was no correlation between attendance at supplementary feeding events and productivity, and breeding birds attended on average only 35% of supplementary feeding events. Birds that were frequently observed at a local tree nursery raised fewer offspring, while birds observed more frequently in poldered cultivation, and in particular in mint crops or in fields covered with manure, raised on average more offspring. Foraging success was highest in meadows and cropland, particularly in mint crops and fields covered in manure, and lowest at the tree nursery. We speculate that selection of highly suitable wild foraging habitat such as mint crops or fields covered in manure allows the Northern Bald Ibis to raise more fledglings than exclusive reliance on supplementary food provided at the breeding station. Establishing a second breeding colony of this species in Turkey will therefore require a careful assessment of the suitability of wild foraging habitat in the vicinity of suitable nesting opportunities.

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Satellite tracking reveals the migration route and wintering area of the Middle East population of Critically Endangered northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita

Cited by 24 publications

References 9 publications

Breeding ecology and behaviour of the last wild oriental Northern Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita) in Syria

Breeding ecology and behaviour of the last wild oriental Northern Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita) in Syria

The Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in Morocco since 1900: Analysis of ecological requirements

Influence of feeding ecology on breeding success of a semi-wild population of the critically endangered Northern Bald IbisGeronticus eremitain southern Turkey

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