Newsletter 05/05/2022
Extensive GPS-monitoring of the Northern Bald Ibis (NBI) release population proves that illegal hunting is responsible for about 30% of bird losses in Italy. This substantially affects the population development and endangers the survival of the population every year. In 2021 alone, there was concrete evidence for seven kills. Since in around half of the cases, the exact cause of death cannot be determined, it must be assumed that the actual number of birds shot in Italy is significantly higher.
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Newsletter 22/04/2022
Once again, our project team has been affected by COVID infections. Despite vaccination and protective measures that go beyond the legal requirements, two people have been infected. These circumstances have made it necessary to move the bald ibis from the Zoo Vienna to the camp in Seekirchen am Wallersee prematurely on 21st April. There we can continue to take care of the bald ibises. At the moment, however, only one of the two foster mothers can be on site. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ackerl family, who always welcome us very spontaneously and warmly to their farm in such emergencies!
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Newsletter 08/04/2022
Even though we have left our newsletters open for a long period of time, we have not been idle. Quite the contrary. We have been preparing for a new, large European LIFE project. The continuation of the project for the next seven years is now secured. Ten partners from Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, under the leadership of the Zoo Vienna will continue to build up the Northern Bald Ibis population, establish new colonies, continue and expand the campaigns against illegal bird hunting and electrocution on unsecured medium-voltage pylons, and implement numerous other species conservation measures. The bald ibis population is expected to become self-sustaining within the project period.
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Newsletter 01/12/2021
After the Überlingen ibises continued to stay in their breeding area and made no attempt to fly south, we decided to transfer the birds to South Tyrol.
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Newsletter 20/11/2021
In the three breeding areas of Burghausen, Kuchl and Rosegg, autumn migration has proceeded well and is largely complete. Moreover, for the first time a large group of 22 birds migrated together from Salzburg to Tuscany. The situation is different, however, for the 31 birds of the Überlingen colony, which are still fully settled in their breeding area. There was a recent departure of a total of 6 ibises. However, the flight stopped near Chur in Switzerland and the birds finally returned to Überlingen.
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Newsletter 31/10/2021
The trend of the past few years towards an increasingly late departure of the birds from the breeding areas has continued this year. As every year, the birds left their breeding grounds at the beginning of August. That is when the autumn migration should start. But on the way they seek out abundant food areas and stay there for weeks.
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Newsletter 20/10/2021
The Waldrappenteam has been working with the German Filmtank media production team for several years as part of the exciting and innovative MYRIAD project.
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Newsletter 15/10/2021
Dieks was a young female Northern Bald Ibis. She grew up in Carinthia in 2020 and followed her conspecifics to the wintering area in Tuscany. This bird was supposed to become a founder of a new breeding colony in Carinthia, as part of the European reintroduction project. This hope was dashed when she was illegally killed in an area with a high hunting density on 26th September.
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Newsletter 14/10/2021
The departure of the northern bald ibises to the south is still a long time coming this year. The birds have probably left their breeding grounds everywhere. But they continue to stay on apparently still very abundant feeding areas in the surrounding area. This is not unusual; in previous years, too, the departure has sometimes been delayed until October or even November.
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Newsletter 03/09/2021
On September 1st, after a journey of 14 days, we arrived with 28 human-raised juvenile Northern Bald Ibises on the edge of the WWF protected area Oasi Laguna di Orbetello in southern Tuscany. Already during landing, wild bald ibises joined the group of juvenile birds. They have reached the Northern Bald Ibis winter area. This will be their home, where they will stay for the next two or three years until they will return on their own to their breeding area in Austria to raise their own offspring.
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Newsletter 25/08/2021
This year's migration is characterised by a number of peculiarities. First and foremost, the 28 young Northern Bald Ibises. Our pilot Walter Holzmüller said after a training flight that these birds were almost scary to him, because they follow with such high confidence and especially because they can be guided to any altitude.
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Newsletter 15/08/2021
On August 12th and 13th, the team for the migration was completed and it consists of 13 people. In addition, an English-Canadian film team of 8 people arrived in the last few days and will accompany us throughout the migration. This is probably the largest team in a human-led migration so far.
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