The Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) is considered one of the rarest birds in the world. Although the species was recategorized globally on the IUCN’s Red List from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2018, it has a precariously small wild population. At least 95% of truly wild birds are now concentrated in one subpopulation in Morocco.
There is a semi-wild population in Turkey, while the breeding population became extinct in Algeria during the late 1980s or early 1990s and in Syria during the 2010s (Böhm et al. 2021). The species disappeared from Europe over 400 years ago, and it is categorized as regionally extinct in Europe (BirdLife 2021).
However, European research and reintroduction projects have been implemented since the early 1990s in different countries. In short, it is one of the species at most risk of extinction among the storks, ibis and spoonbill species. This explains the concern about the Northern Bald Ibis at scientific and conservation levels. This is why an International Northern Bald Ibis symposium will take place in Jerez de la Frontera (Andalusia, Spain) from the 11th to the 14th of March 2025, welcoming over 60 international experts and officials from 12 countries.
The symposium will provide the framework for a comprehensive exchange between experts from various disciplines on species conservation, translocation, and relevant scientific research. There is a significant presence of specialists from the IUCN SSC Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill specialist group, who will have relevant participation through some presentations. The symposium programme can be checked here.
References:
BirdLife International. (2018). Geronticus eremita. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22697488A130895601. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697488A130895601.en.
Böhm C., Bowden C., Seddon P., Hatipoğlu T., Oubrou W., El Bekkay M., . . . and Unsöld M. (2021). The northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita: History, current status and future perspectives. Oryx 55, 934-946. doi:10.1017/S0030605320000198