Breeding failure prompts captive breeding proposal for Syria’s Northern Bald ibis
17/09/2008 12:53:52
Bald ibis foragaing. credit RSPB images.
September 2008. A workshop on conservation of the Critically Endangered Northern bald ibis concluded that the Palmyra birds should be supplemented with juveniles taken from the expanding semi-wild population at Birecik, Turkey. The meeting was held in Syria near the site where a relict population of the bird was discovered in 2002.
Northern Bald ibis aviary
The proposed captive Northern bald ibis aviary will be established within the Talila Wildlife Reserve, part of the al-Badia desertic steppe rangelands east of Palmyra, which is managed by the Syrian government and funded by UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation and others. Workshop participants included community representatives, local hunters, bald ibis Protected Area staff, and senior officials of the General Commission for the Management and Development of al-Badia.
Bald ibis facts
- The Syrian population of northern bald ibis is thought to be the last of a 1,000-strong group, which used to summer in the Middle East, probably at Birecik, south-east Turkey, 130 miles from Palmyra. A small, partially captive, population remains in Birecik. There are also captive populations in Austria and Italy.
- 3 pairs were found breeding near Palmyra in 2002. Two to three pairs have continued to breed; breeding birds were not recorded since 1928 in Palmyra.
- The population in Morocco has risen from 59 pairs in 1997 to over 100 pairs in 2006, breeding on the coastal cliffs in the Souss-Massa National Park.
- The Moroccan ibis remain in Morocco all year, and are protected by wardens. The Syrian birds are also well protected but migrate elsewhere for half the year and so are more vulnerable.
- The birds became extinct in Europe about 400 years ago, probably due to loss of habitat. There are ongoing projects to re-introduce wild populations into Austria.
- There are twenty nine species of ibis, a distant relative of storks and herons. The northern bald ibis is different from the rest as it seeks semi-desert rather than wetlands to breed. In Palmyra, its diet of insects and lizards is unavailable in winter so the birds migrate to seek food elsewhere. The Souss-Massa area in Morocco is warmer so the birds remain year round.
- The northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) is 70 - 80 cm long. It is mostly black but has iridescent tints of blue, green and copper. It has a bal red, naked face and crown. It is mostly silent but hisses and grunts at nest and in display. For further details on its status and distribution see: www.birdlife.org .
- Palmyra, known locally as Tadmor, is in the middle of the Syrian Desert, 150 miles north east of Damascus. It has been ruled by Assyrians, Greeks and Romans. The city's best known ruler, Queen Zenobia, fought against the Romans. The city ruins cover 6 square kilometres and are a major tourist attraction.
Issues and solutions
The aim of the workshop was to identify the main problems affecting the bald ibis breeding colony, to propose practical solutions to these problems, and, develop and endorse a national Action Plan for Northern bald ibis conservation."Thorough discussions on potential for supplementation of Northern Bald ibis from other colonies were conducted, and risks involved were elaborated," said Dr Akram Eissa Darwish, Chairman of the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife. "Participants concluded that this is an urgently needed step, provided that experts offer their technical knowledge and apply the suitable methodology. The final decision from participants was to establish a captive breeding colony at Palmyra, to act as a ready-established option for supplementation, and to promote ecotourism in the area."
2008 - Breeding failure
Chris Bowden of the RSPB explained that captive breeding was a last resort, as there is no guarantee of success following a total breeding failure at the colony in the past year. 'If fewer than two pairs attempt to breed next year, we will hit the emergency button. The Birecik birds are genetically similar, and so they are the obvious source for supplementation."
Captive juveniles from Turkey
Juvenile birds would be taken from Birecik to form a captive breeding colony, using adapted compounds that were previously used for captive breeding of Arabian Oryx (a Critically Endangered species of antelope). The project will draw on expertise from around the world, including Doga Dernegi (BirdLife in Turkey), and the Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle in Grünau, Austria, where a semi-wild colony has been established.
"On the face of it, it seems straightforward to do, but the birds are socially particularly complex, and there are risks of disease. The project will require very careful implementation," Bowden added.
Survival of wild birds
However, the Syrian government, local Bedouins, former hunters and others are firmly committed to the survival of the Palmyra colony. "The workshop demonstrated the increased national and local sense of ownership of bird conservation. This is not always the easiest thing to achieve, and local stakeholders showed a keen interest to learn about where their birds go, and what others countries are doing, and to support international cooperation," said Eng. Ali Hamoud, Director General of the General Commission for the Management and Development of al-Badia.
The workshop was organised by the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife and Syrian Ministry for Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, the General Commission for the Management and Development of al-Badia, with participation and funding from BirdLife International's Middle East Secretariat, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB, BirdLife in the UK), and Germany's Hanns Seidel Foundation.
