Northern bald ibis 943
the Moroccan National Parks authority has been key to this success, along with regulation of development pressures and increasing tourism. Maintaining the traditional agricultural areas and preventing disturbance around the breeding sites will be ongoing challenges to support this largely resident northern bald ibis population. By 2014 the last wild migratory breeding northern bald
ibis pair had disappeared from the Middle East, although they survive in semi-wild conditions and retain the ability to migrate, and thus could serve as a source of founders for the re-establishment of a migratory eastern population. The lessons learned from the European reintroduction pro- jects provide cause for optimismthat sedentary populations (Spain) and even migratory populations (Austria) can be re- established, and could inform the reintroduction of species with similarly migratory and sedentary phenotypes. In 1999 the International Advisory Group for the
Northern Bald Ibis was founded. Its principal aims are to facilitate good communication and information exchange amongst all parties working with the northern bald ibis. The group distributes new and accumulated knowledge about the species by organizing periodic meetings, publish- ing newsletters and the meeting proceedings, and maintain- ing its ownwebsite with a download section for reports. The group’s activities have been recognized by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Water- birds (AEWA) that initiated and sponsored the first Species Action Plan for the northern bald ibis in 2006. A revision of this action plan was produced from the 1st Meeting of the AEWA Northern Bald Ibis International Working Group in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, and finalized in 2015 (Bowden, 2015). It states that because of significant progress in meth- odology over the past decade, conservation translocation has become a viable approach to improve the status of the species in the wild (Bowden, 2015). The two European re- lease projects (LIFE+ project and Proyecto Eremita) have so far developed largely independently of the AEWA pro- cess, but have demonstrated the potential to develop re- introduction projects within the more recent former range in Algeria, Turkey and Syria. The first steps for this were outlined in the updated implementation plan for Algeria (AEWA, 2018). The AEWA Northern Bald Ibis Working Group is composed of one nominated senior government representative plus a national expert from each of the range states, with a regional coordinator for the eastern and western populations, and an overall coordinator. Ex- perts, usually from the International Advisory Group for the Northern Bald Ibis, are invited to periodic meetings in line with the main issues on the agenda for the implemen- tation of the action plan. The Moroccan government hosted the most recent meeting in November 2016, at which 3-year implementation plans were developed and agreed for each country (AEWA, 2018). Significant progress has thus been made both in maintaining and steadily increasing the
small western population in Morocco, and in developing the methodology and prospects for establishing a sedentary population in southern Spain and possibly also a migratory population in central Europe.
Future perspectives
There is a need to evaluate the suitability of potential and former breeding sites and associated feeding areas for both the western (Morocco, Algeria) and eastern (Syria, Turkey, Yemen, Iraq) populations. This is especially needed in Morocco where the in situ population increase means there is potential for natural recolonization beyond the cur- rently occupied sites. In addition, there is evidence that birds from the Spanish project can cross to Morocco, with sight- ings of lone birds in both 2006 and 2007, and multiple observations in 2016 and 2017 (Muñoz & Ramírez, 2017; Bowden et al., 2018). Every year some birds at the Birecik Breeding Station,
Turkey, disappear before enclosure; they may not be dead but, rather, migrating south. Release trials of satellite- tracked birds have shown promising results for potential re- establishment of a fully wild Turkish population, although because birds inevitably pass through Syria where civil con- flict means personal firearms are ubiquitous, this may be- come viable only after the region has stabilized politically. The captive population of western origin is managed
through studbooks and continues to increase slowly, al- though individual captive colonies need careful breedingman- agement as some bloodlines are already over-represented and aviary space is becoming
limited.However, the age struc- ture and sex ratio indicate that the captive population is still viable and .65% of the birds are of optimal breeding age. This means sufficient genetically appropriate birds can be made available for reintroduction projects, but cooperation between holders is essential to control inbreeding andmain- tain genetic variability. Finally, our understanding of methodology for the re- introduction of this species, for both sedentary and migra- tory populations, has advanced significantly since 2000. The positive trend for the remaining wild Moroccan popula- tion is a result of the measures taken by theMoroccan gov- ernment together with partner NGOs. The recent signs of recolonization of former areas, if maintained, will be an important consolidation and a positive step in the recovery of the species. Meanwhile, pressures on current feeding and breeding habitats are increasing. Interventions such as war- dening, water provisioning and law enforcement to pre- vent illegal construction activities thus remain a top priority and may need further reinforcement. Availability of viable management options such as reintroduction offers signifi- cant opportunities for the species and provides hope that the re-establishment of further self-sustaining populations is possible.
Oryx, 2021, 55(6), 934–946 © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605320000198
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