It is a northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita), one of the world's rarest birds, if not one of the prettiest. It is not on the British List and turns out to be an escapee from the nearby Kirkley Hall, from where three of 10 birds escaped after damage to their enclosure in Storm Dennis a couple of weeks ago. One of the other birds (with a white ring) has been seen twice in a field about 2km away from this one.
Looking a bit like a cross between a glossy ibis and a vulture, this one was wandering round the garden probing for worms and grubs in the soil with its long curlew-like beak.
The only population of truly wild northern bald ibises is in Morocco where there are now about 700 birds. Extensive conservation efforts there have saved the bird from extinction in the wild and its status has recently been changed from critically endangered to endangered on the IUCN Red List. Another small population of about 200 birds exists in Turkey. They are captive-bred and are free-flying in the summer but caged in the winter to prevent migration.
Northern bald ibises in Austria were protected by decree in 1504 but despite this they became extinct in Europe about 400 years ago. The European birds, also known as waldrapps, were described by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner in his Historia animalium in 1555.
In recent years there has been a reintroduction programme in northern Austria. Birds there have been taught to migrate to southern Tuscany by following a microlight aircraft conveying their human foster mothers. You can read more about the Waldrapp Project here and watch a short video here.
The northern bald ibis was once much more widespread. It and the African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) were revered in ancient Egypt. This Egyptian hieroglyph depicts a northern bald ibis.
Many thanks to David and Viv for letting me see this fascinating bird. Efforts are being made to recapture it and its fellow fugitives which may be unlikely to survive long in the wild.
Great post, Chris! Thank you!
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