Northern Bald Ibis Conservation and Translocation Workshop Report of 4th IAGNBI Meeting Seekirchen 2016 Ed. C. Boehm & Bowden C.G.R. 1 Northern Bald Ibis Conservation and Reintroduction Workshop Proceedings of the International Advisory Group for the Northern Bald Ibis (IAGNBI) meeting Seekirchen, Austria August 2016 Editor: Christiane Boehm Alpenzoo Innsbruck‐Tirol Weiherburggasse 37a A‐6020 Innsbruck, Austria [email protected] Christopher G R Bowden Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Lodge, Sandy, Beds SG19 2DL, UK [email protected] 2016 Published by: RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, UK Alpenzoo Innsbruck‐Tirol, Austria Suggested citation: Boehm C. & Bowden CGR (2016): Northern Bald Ibis Conservation and Translocation Workshop. Report of 4th International Advisory Group for the Northern Bald Ibis (IAGNBI) meeting Seekirchen, Austria; August 2016; pp 121. ISBN 978‐1‐905601‐54‐7 Cover picture: S. Dereliev ISBN 978‐1‐905601‐54‐7 2 Northern Bald Ibis Conservation and Translocation Workshop Proceedings of 4th Meeting of International Advisory Group for Northern Bald Ibis (IAGNBI), Seekirchen, Austria 2016 Ed. Boehm, C. & Bowden, C.G.R. Overview and introduction from the departing Chairman ........................................................ 4 Participants list of the 4th IAGNBI meeting ............................................................................... 6 th th 5 – 7 August 2016 Seekirchen, Austria .................................................................................. 6 IAGNBI: Its history and role ........................................................................................................ 8 Updated Terms of Reference for IAGNBI and why this is important for supporting the AEWA International Working Group and NBI conservation – Why we need two groups: ................. 11 IAGNBI its role and committee ................................................................................................. 13 Draft update to Release guidelines and methodology for Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita) .................................................................................................................................... 14 Problems and demands of the selection of release sites for the Northern Bald Ibis ............... 24 Morocco wild population update ............................................................................................. 29 Conservation support of the Northern Bald ibis in Morocco ................................................... 31 Conservation of the Northern Bald ibis, Birecik, Turkey 2013‐2106 ........................................ 34 Conservation Project, Birecik, Turkey ....................................................................................... 40 Back into European ecosystems: The LIFE+ Northern Bald Ibis reintroduction project in Central Europe: ........................................................................................................................ 47 Northern Bald Ibis Reintroduction program in Andalusia ........................................................ 57 Translocation in the context of the AEWA Northern Bald Ibis International Single Species Action Plan ............................................................................................................................... 68 Genetic diversity in the critically endangered Northern Bald Ibis ............................................ 72 Planning for Wildlife Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations ....................... 74 Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita bibliography ............................................................... 79 Poster....................................................................................................................................107 3 Overview and introduction from the departing Chairman It’s now been seven years since the previous IAGNBI meeting, held in Palmyra, Syria in 2009, and we highly appreciate the offer from the Waldrappteam LIFE Plus project to host and support this fourth full IAGNBI meeting, which simply wouldn’t have otherwise happened. Our warm appreciation to the project for this support which in previous years was very largely provided by the RSPB in conjunction with the respective hosts Alpenzoo, Proyecto Eremita, the Syrian Desert Commission and many additional supporters. The fate of the two remaining wild Northern Bald Ibis populations has diverged significantly since 2009, with the Moroccan (western) population consolidating and building up well to the credit of Souss‐Massa National Park, GREPOM and SEO Birdlife, whilst the Syrian (eastern) population has sadly dwindled to perhaps the last single wild individual. A huge array of activities has accompanied those two stories, not least the dreadful conflict in Syria, and on behalf of all at the meeting, we extend our deepest concern for the welfare of our friends and colleagues there, but despite all of this, the net effect of the efforts for the species is that the Northern bald Ibis is currently being considered for down‐listing next year from Critically Endangered. This would be a major milestone for us all, but is still very far from a signal to reduce our efforts – and indeed further encourages us that all our efforts are producing results! Some of the biggest changes since 2009 have been the major progress in translocation work by Proyecto Eremita in Spain and our hosts here in Austria, and these are extensively reported in this report, with exciting plans afoot to publish them more systematically for a wider international audience. The recent work in Turkey, led by the Turkish Government, with support from Doga Dernegi has also transformed the situation and successfully doubled the semi‐wild population there. All this is extremely positive and helps bring more secure prospects for the species. Of course one reason that IAGNBI hasn’t met for so long was the formation of the inter‐governmental AEWA Northern Bald Ibis International Working Group (AEWA NBI IWG) in November 2012 – a meeting that filled much of the role of an IAGNBI meeting. It also developed an updated version of the International Single Species Action Plan for the species which is now available and adopted by AEWA (http://www.unep‐aewa.org/en/publication/international‐single‐species‐action‐plan‐ conservation‐northern‐bald‐ibis‐ts‐no‐55). In fact you may be wondering why we need both groups (IAGNBI and IWG), which I feel is very positive and will explain in more detail below. The single main reason is that we desperately need stronger involvement and ownership of NBI conservation priorities (stipulated in the Action Plan) by the range state Governments, and I firmly believe that it is through the actions and meetings of AEWA international working group that this can really happen and progress. 4 Meanwhile, IAGNBI still has a hugely important and proactive role to play in terms of driving the translocations agenda forwards, supporting the respective projects in terms of ensuring good documentation of the progress that is being made, and thereby allowing the IWG to focus more on the huge challenges of progressing the ongoing in‐situ actions that are needed – often with threats and pressures that are growing every year. It is not without some regrets that I step down as IAGNBI Chairman after nearly fifteen years (I did so at the meeting, and remain an ordinary IAGNBI committee member), but I feel that this way, I can better focus my attentions on developing the activities of the AEWA working group, whilst maintaining very close contact with IAGNBI, and keeping in mind my considerable vulture commitments – this all seems to makes good sense. I’m very confident that my co‐chair successors in Christiane Boehm and Cathy King are more than capable of successfully developing IAGNBI’s redefined role (see the updated terms of reference below which focus more strongly on documenting and progressing translocation methodology), such that the two groups can jointly serve the species even better. Chris Bowden (IAGNBI Chairman 2001‐2016) 5 Participants list of the 4th IAGNBI meeting 5th – 7th August 2016 Seekirchen, Austria name given name organisation & function contact Bichler Martin Förderverein Waldrappteam, secretary [email protected] NBI EEP coordinator; IAGNBI secretary/ Böhm Christiane [email protected] Alpenzoo Innsbruck‐ Tirol Boucekkine Ouahida As‐director of wildlife, hunting and hunting activities [email protected] Bourass Khadija Conservation officer at GREPOM/BirdLife Morocco [email protected] IAGNBI chairman, Globally Threatened Species Officer ‐ Bowden Chris [email protected] RSPB Head of wildlife epidemiology ‐ Zoological Society of Cunningham Andrew A. [email protected] London Head of Unit (science, implementation and Dereliev Sergey sergey.dereliev@unep‐aewa.org compliance) at the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat Mouvement Ecologique Algerien; National Agency for Fellous Djardini Amina [email protected] Nature Conservation Fritz Johannes General Project Manager LIFE+ Project Northern Bald [email protected] Hadjeloum Mohamed Office manager of protecting wildlife [email protected] Hafner Lynne Biologist & zoo keeper, Tierpark Rosegg [email protected] Hatipoglu Taner Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, National Expert [email protected] Department of research and conservation – Hoffmann Wiebke [email protected] Tiergarten Schönbrunn/Vienna Zoo Jordan Mike Director of Animal and