Which EDGE species will you vote for : The secretary bird and the Northern bald ibis? (Poll)

which species will you vote for ?

  • Total voters
    22
  • Poll closed .
I vote for the Ibis because it's a typically Mediterranean bird and because its conservation involves countries of 3 continents. It's a story of solidarity among Mediterranean nations, including the most troubled (e.g. Syria).
In the last years we start to see few Ibises in the French skies, and even if this country isn't targeted yet, I can hope to see breeding Bald Ibises on the cliffs of Southern France in my lifetime. (as it's already the case for several species of vulture and the Glossy Ibis, that became regular breeders in last years)
 
As a child I often went to Nuremberg zoo and I always thought that the ibises looked really ugly and never really paid eny attention to them, until I started to read about the history of them and how endangered they are/were. Since then I started to care more about animals that are not just the most beautiful or the biggest, etc.
So somehow those birds got me to appreciate all animals not just those the majority of people care about
 
Haliaeetus said:
I vote for the Ibis because it's a typically Mediterranean bird and because its conservation involves countries of 3 continents. It's a story of solidarity among Mediterranean nations, including the most troubled (e.g. Syria).
In the last years we start to see few Ibises in the French skies, and even if this country isn't targeted yet, I can hope to see breeding Bald Ibises on the cliffs of Southern France in my lifetime. (as it's already the case for several species of vulture and the Glossy Ibis, that became regular breeders in last years)
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Thanks for sharing @Haliaeetus !

That is a really interesting observation and correct too, the conservation of this species has involved the collaboration and dedication of multiple countries across three continents and ingenuity and technological innovation too.

I hope that you may one day see bald ibises on the cliffs of Southern France too, it would be great for the species to entirely recolonize its lost historical range.
 
Shruikan said:
As a child I often went to Nuremberg zoo and I always thought that the ibises looked really ugly and never really paid eny attention to them, until I started to read about the history of them and how endangered they are/were. Since then I started to care more about animals that are not just the most beautiful or the biggest, etc.
So somehow those birds got me to appreciate all animals not just those the majority of people care about
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Thanks for sharing @Shruikan !

That is interesting that you mention that it was after discovering more about the history and conservation status of this species that you became interested in them and I agree / admit they are not really the most aesthetically beautiful of birds.

Do you remember where you first read about the species ? was it in a particular book or magazine or was it online on a website ?
 
I’m going with the Northern Bald Ibis. I’ve had the good fortune to have seen both species in San Diego and both are remarkable birds. The reason for voting for the Ibis is solely due to their population numbers currently compared to the Secretary Bird. Even at the estimated low end from the IUCN, it’s still about 6000 more individuals left compared to less than 250 Ibis. I say this as a fan of both bird species but I do think greater priority should be placed for the Ibis although I know the Secretary Bird is the only of its kind so that’s another hurdle to jump over :oops:
 
Julio C Castro said:
I’m going with the Northern Bald Ibis. I’ve had the good fortune to have seen both species in San Diego and both are remarkable birds. The reason for voting for the Ibis is solely due to their population numbers currently compared to the Secretary Bird. Even at the estimated low end from the IUCN, it’s still about 6000 more individuals left compared to less than 250 Ibis. I say this as a fan of both bird species but I do think greater priority should be placed for the Ibis although I know the Secretary Bird is the only of its
kind so that’s another hurdle to jump over :oops:
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Thank you for your comment and vote @Julio C Castro !

Wow, I didn't know they were kept in San Diego zoo, thats awesome !

Yes, totally agree, there are far less Northern bald ibis left in the world than the secretary bird and I do think that this warrants a greater prioritization of this bird.

Have to say though I do wonder how severely the population of the secretary bird will decrease during this century in response to all of the anthropogenic pressures it is up against.
 
I’ve seen both species in the Safari Park but don’t know if I’ve seen the Ibis in the Zoo, photographed both last month during my visit!

That’s the problem, one that can affect both species in fact. Just our mere presence with little regards to the environmental impact the decisions of people have may affect the Secretary Bird population more in the coming years while the Ibis needs further protections in their native range.

As for breeding populations in captivity, I don’t know which has been more fruitful between the two so that can further decide which bird specie is to have greater priority for breeding programs in zoos :/
 
Julio C Castro said:
I’ve seen both species in the Safari Park but don’t know if I’ve seen the Ibis in the Zoo, photographed both last month during my visit!

That’s the problem, one that can affect both species in fact. Just our mere presence with little regards to the environmental impact the decisions of people have may affect the Secretary Bird population more in the coming years while the Ibis needs further protections in their native range.

As for breeding populations in captivity, I don’t know which has been more fruitful between the two so that can further decide which bird specie is to have greater priority for breeding programs in zoos :/
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Very lucky indeed ! I would love to see a secretary bird.

Exactly, I totally agree, both species are likely to be very adversely impacted by a whole host of compounding anthropogenic factors in the coming decades.

Thats an interesting one, I personally would say that the Northern bald ibis has been most successfully kept and bred in captivity but then again I don't really know much about the keeping of secretary birds in zoos.
 
I think you’re right about the Ibis and I’ve heard that not many facilities have been able to breed them, I know the Safari Park is supposed to have a few breeding pairs off exhibit as well as two pairs exhibited. One pair at the Zoo and the other at the Safari Park :)
 
Julio C Castro said:
I think you’re right about the Ibis and I’ve heard that not many facilities have been able to breed them, I know the Safari Park is supposed to have a few breeding pairs off exhibit as well as two pairs exhibited. One pair at the Zoo and the other at the Safari Park :)
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That is awesome, you know I'm not 100 % sure but I have a feeling that these birds may have come from Jersey zoo or at least I seem to remember reading something about this, could be wrong though.
 
i like them both and i have sean both the ibis just in captivety, secaterybird i have sean in the wild a cuopel of years ago in south afrika and in walsrode. i voted for the ibis couse i like the recovery story and the look of them. also wen i was at a zoo day camp i was aibal to put out food for them
 
Looks like the secretary bird won this poll !

Thanks to everyone who commented and voted!

Here are some videos of the secretary bird in action to celebrate the victory of this species in the poll:


 
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