Humans Are Teaching Birds How to Fly South for Winter

The northern bald ibis had been extinct in Central Europe for four centuries, but a dedicated conservation and research group has reintroduced a small population into the wild. The only problem: the birds have no clue how or where to migrate when seasons change, so the humans are teaching them.

In 2002, an Austrian organization called Waldrappteam (the bald ibis is called Waldrapp in German) began reviving the species, but introducing them to the wild has been difficult. Newly hatched chicks from breeding colonies at Rosegg zoo are taken to an aviary where they are adopted by foster parents, who get the birds used to being around humans and gain their trust.

When the birds are old enough to fly, they need to make a 1,740 miles journey from Austria to Spain, where they spend the winter. The human parents show them the way by leading the flock using an ultralight aircraft, a flying vehicle with a fan-like motor in the rear and a parachute to keep it aloft, basically a motorized kite. During the 50-day or so journey, the humans aboard wave and shout encouragement to the birds behind them. Incredibly, it works.

This year marks the 17th people-led migration, which embarked on August 13. The team is now en route to Vejer de la Frontera in Andalusia, where they expect to arrive in early October.

The northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) is a large (28–31 inches long), glossy black bird with a four foot-plus wingspan. Red-faced and bald, but with bronze-green and violet iridescent plumage, the species sports a long, curved bill. In Central Europe, the population has gone from zero to almost 300 in 20 years of conservation (and human aviation lessons).

The conservationists want the Central European population to reach 350 birds by 2028 at which time, they hope, the birds will no longer need human help to migrate.

Photo credit: Waldrappteam Conservation & Research