New Breeding Sites of the Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus Eremita on the Moroccan Atlantic Coast

Aourir, Mohamed; Bousadik, Halima; Bekkay, Mohamed El; Oubrou, Widade; Znari, Mohammed; Qninba, Abdeljebbar

doi:10.15406/ijawb.2017.02.00021

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, this decision was controversial. Although this population has developed well in recent years and signs of expansion of the breeding area have even been observed (10,81), it remains so far the world’s only wild population, spatially restricted to a small area on the Atlantic coast in Morocco. The significant decline of the population in 1996 as a result of an epidemic (82) and the dependence of the population on management like the provision of supplementary fresh water (62) indicate that this one population cannot ensure permanent survival of the species.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How human intervention and climate change shaped the fate of the Northern Bald Ibis from ancient Egypt to the presence: an interdisciplinary approach to extinction and recovery of an iconic bird species

Fritz

Janák

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Once widespread around the Mediterranean, the Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) became one of the rarest birds in the world. We trace the history of this species through different epochs to the present. A particular focus is on its life and disappearance in ancient Egypt, where it attained the greatest mythological significance as a hieroglyphic sign for ‘blessed ancestor spirits’, and on modern endeavours to rewild and restore the species. The close association of the Northern Bald Ibis with human culture in ancient Egypt, as in other regions, is caused by primarily two reasons, the characteristic appearance and behaviour, as well as the need for open foraging areas. In consequence, a mutualistic relationship between humans and birds was formed in some cultures. The benefit for the Northern Bald Ibis was mainly the availability of feeding habitats, which were cleared by humans for farming or grazing and might have contributed to the spread of the species. The benefit to people was primarily cultural and mythological, whereby the bird was worshiped in ancient Egypt and in Muslim cultures, while Christian cultures in Europe rather regarded it as bad omen or nuisance, like any black bird species. Another benefit was profane in nature, the species was also hunted for food, mainly in Europe. But alike many other species, proximity to humans also carried a high risk for the Northern Bald Ibis. We discuss various kinds of human impacts that were driving causes for the extinction of the species in almost all regions. However, the historical disappearance of populations also correlates markedly with changes in climate, especially in ancient Egypt and the Middle Ages. This fact has important implications for current conservation efforts, especially since international action plans for the Northern Bald Ibis have taken little account of climate change effects so far. The Northern Bald Ibis is an outstanding example of how an interdisciplinary cultural-historical and natural-scientific approach significantly promotes the interpretation of historical evidence as well as the implementation of current rewilding and restoration efforts.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How human intervention and climate change shaped the fate of the Northern Bald Ibis from ancient Egypt to the presence: an interdisciplinary approach to extinction and recovery of an iconic bird species

Fritz

Janák

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Maintaining the wardening system is important and essential for the recovery of the population. In 2017, two new sites with small breeding colonies were detected on the Atlantic coast (Aourir et al 2017). Further foundations of new populations on the Atlantic coast or in inland Morocco seem possible, even if such sites seem hard to predict at present.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, the creation of the Souss-Massa National Park in 1991 and conservation measures implemented since 1993 resulted in an increase of the last wild NBIs from 59 breeding pairs in 1997 to 147 breeding pairs and a total of 708 individuals in 2018, including non-breeding and juvenile birds (El Bekkay et al 2007, Oubrou and El Bekkay 2018). In 2017, two new small breeding colonies on the Atlantic coast north of Tamri were discovered (Aourir et al 2017) and in 2018 two additional new sites were found in the SMNP on the Atlantic coast (Oubrou and El Bekkay 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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.

show abstract

“…After other data, the population in Morocco in 2016 numbered ca. 601 birds (Aourir et al, 2017). In addition, a semi-wild population of 200 ibises is sustained in south-eastern Turkey (Schwägerl, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First record of the northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita (Linnaeus, 1758) in Bulgaria

Boev¹,

Gradev²,

Klisurova³

et al. 2020

Historia Naturalis Bulgarica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

New Breeding Sites of the Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus Eremita on the Moroccan Atlantic Coast

Cited by 10 publications

References 5 publications

How human intervention and climate change shaped the fate of the Northern Bald Ibis from ancient Egypt to the presence: an interdisciplinary approach to extinction and recovery of an iconic bird species

How human intervention and climate change shaped the fate of the Northern Bald Ibis from ancient Egypt to the presence: an interdisciplinary approach to extinction and recovery of an iconic bird species

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

First record of the northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita (Linnaeus, 1758) in Bulgaria

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About