Crested ibis conservation in PR China

[Kifaru Bwana]

I have set up a new thread for crested ibis conservation in PR China. Surprised that I could not find any prior one for this iconic bird of East Asian flyways! So here and rather belatedly a first attempt to bring together news of the species and how it is faring in China.

The latest report on numbers in the country hover around 4,100 birds in total.
Link: Live: Wild crested ibises and their lovely newborn

Given that when the species was rediscovered in 1981 only 7 birds remained, this is an incredible feat of a determined recovery program that probably allows the species to be downgraded on the IUCN Red List too.

Other countries like Japan and South Korea are trying to replicate this effort.

 

[vogelcommando]

20 ibisses released in Northwest China :

20 crested ibises released to wild in Northwest China

 

[Zorro]

Did they not find a few living wild in Japan some years later?

 

[vogelcommando]

Did they not find a few living wild in Japan some years later?

No, in Japan only a few captives were kept at the time the species was rediscovered in China.

 

[Zorro]

No, in Japan only a few captives were kept at the time the species was rediscovered in China.

I seem to recall a second population was found a few later in another location?

 

[birdsandbats]

I seem to recall a second population was found a few later in another location?

In the DMZ of Korea, found by George Archibald, director of the International Crane Foundation.

 

[Zorro]

In the DMZ of Korea, found by George Archibald, director of the International Crane Foundation.

Thank you to confirm!

 

[Chlidonias]

I seem to recall a second population was found a few later in another location?

In the DMZ of Korea, found by George Archibald, director of the International Crane Foundation.

It wasn't "later" and it wasn't really a population. It was just four birds, first seen in 1974 (the Chinese population was rediscovered in 1981). Archibald actually obtained permission from the Korean government to catch the ibis and take them to Wisconsin for captive breeding, but several years of trying to catch them proved futile. By 1978 only two birds remained; and in 1979 there was only one bird which was not seen subsequently.

 

[vogelcommando]

World-population has now increased to more then 9.000 birds ! :

Global population of crested ibises exceeds 9,000