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Birding World 18 (12): 517-526

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Birding World 18 (12): 517-526 18-12.qxd 10-Aug-06 12:30 PM Page 517 Sacred Ibis: a new invasive species in Europe Pierre Yésou and Philippe Clergeau Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus is closely occurred in the wild in Europe – eg no fossil related to both Black-headed Ibis T. melano- remains have ever been found in Europe cephalus (from the Indian subcontinent) and (Maurer-Chauviré 1993). Sacred Ibises have, Australian White Ibis T. molucca (which breeds however, escaped from captivity and been seen in Australia, New Guinea and some nearby in the wild in Europe since the 19th century, eg islands) – to the point that they are sometimes in Italy (Andreotti et al. 2001), but this remained treated as one species, T. aethiopicus. However, a rare event until about the 1970s when it they are generally regarded as three distinct became fashionable to breed free-flying groups species forming a superspecies (eg del Hoyo et of ibises in zoological gardens. This led to a al. 1992). regular flow of escapes, which in turn led to the The nominate form of Sacred Ibis (T. a. establishment of breeding pairs in the wild, and aethiopicus) is widespread in sub-Saharan breeding populations have now become estab- Africa, while different subspecies breed on lished in Spain, Italy and France, as well as on Madagascar (T. a. bernieri) and Aldabra (T. a. the Canary Islands. Stray birds have also been abbotti, although this is considered by some as reported in other countries. inseparable from bernieri). The species is This addition to the European avifauna has common to very common within its main African been welcomed by some, due to the tameness range, where its population is considered to be and attractiveness of the birds, as well as the stable at an estimated 200,000 to 450,000 indi- aura surrounding the species, which has been viduals (Delany & Scott 2002). North of its venerated since the time of the Pharaohs (and is present range, the species was common in also the emblem of the BOU!). Its feeding habits, Egypt until the beginning of the 19th century, however, are cause for real concern. In some when it died out for unknown reasons (del Hoyo areas, it is proving to be a serious predator of et al. 1992). Also, a very small and declining other bird species of conservation concern. Here population occurs in the marshes of southern we report on the current European status of Iraq (Delany & Scott 2002). Sacred Ibis and on its potential conflicts with There is no evidence that the species ever conservation interests. Plate 1. Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus colony, Loire Estuary, Loire-Atlantique, France, June 2005 (Pierre Yésou). 517 18-12.qxd 10-Aug-06 12:30 PM Page 518 Plate 2. Sacred Ibises Threskiornis aethiopicus, Loire Estuary, Loire-Atlantique, France, June 2005 (Jean-Luc Potiron). Sacred Ibises breed colonially, with the nests very close together and the young tended in a crèche. Breeding in Spain initially present, suggesting that breeding might According to Jordi Clavell, co-ordinator of the have occurred in the area. exotic species study group within SEO/BirdLife Breeding in the Canary Islands Spain (pers. comm.), the species is held in a The first sighting in the wild in the Canary number of zoos in Spain, from where escapes Islands dates back to 1989 and there are now have occurred in various regions from Galicia, records for Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote Asturias and Cantabria in the north to the and Fueteventura. However, the species is kept Guadalquivir Marismas of Andalusia in the in zoos on all four of these islands, and at least south. In Barcelona (Catalonia), birds initially some of these birds are known to be free-flying, breeding in the zoo escaped to settle in a nearby so all records are presumed to be escapes. Up public park, where breeding first occurred in to about five pairs have been breeding in the 1974. There were up to 18 individuals there in wild in the vicinities of the zoos on Lanzarote the early 1980s, but this reduced to 4–6 pairs in and Fuerteventura since at least 1997 (Juan the 1990s, and the last breeding occurred in Antonio Lorenzo in litt.). 2001. The species is still kept in the zoo, but Breeding in Italy the birds are now under control. When breeding The species has been breeding in the wild in outside the zoo, these birds used to visit nearby Italy, in the upper Po valley, Piemonte, since wetland areas, including the Llobregat and Ebro 1989. There were 26 pairs and about 100 indi- Deltas. Sacred Ibises are no longer known to viduals in 2000. In 2003, breeding was observed breed in the wild in the area, or to escape from at another site in the same area, with possibly the zoo, but occasional birds continue to occur up to 25-30 pairs, and a few more pairs were in the wetlands of northern Catalonia, and it is found at a third colony in 2004. Unfortunately, considered that these probably come from the there have been neither co-ordinated counts of French population (see below). the breeding sites nor updated estimates of the In recent years, up to five birds have been population size since 2000 (Andreotti et al. regularly seen at the Guadalhorce rivermouth in 2001, Giovanni Boano and Nicola Baccetti pers. Malaga and immatures have joined the adults comm.). 518 18-12.qxd 10-Aug-06 12:30 PM Page 519 Breeding in western France comm.), Golfe du Morbihan and on an island From 20 Sacred Ibises imported from Kenya in nearby (up to c.100 nests), Brouage marshes (a four deliveries during 1975-1980, and then few nests 1980-2004) and near Arcachon (1-3 supplemented with 10 more birds from another nests 1997-2000; Fleury 2004), but the largest French zoo in 1987, a breeding colony soon colony was discovered in 2004, on an artificial became established at Branféré Zoological island in the Loire Estuary. In 2005, this colony Gardens in southern Brittany. There were 150 consisted of at least 820 pairs (Jérôme Cabelguen pairs in the zoo by 1990. The young were pers. comm.). With about 190 pairs at Lac de allowed to fly free and many quickly wandered Grand-Lieu (Sébastien Reeber & Loïc Marion away, mostly visiting nearby wetlands, but with pers. comm.) and c.120–130 pairs in the Golfe some travelling hundreds of kilometres along du Morbihan area (Gérard Sourget & François the French Atlantic coast (Frémont 1995, Yésou Quenot & David Lédan pers. comm.), the French 2005). Breeding in the wild in France stemmed Atlantic breeding population was a little over from these birds and was first noted in 1993 at 1,100 breeding pairs in 2005. Estimates of the both Golfe du Morbihan, 25km from the intro- total population size, including immature birds, duction source (Frémont 1995; although it is were first made in the winters of 2003-2004 and suspected that breeding began a few years 2004-2005, when censuses of winter roosts earlier, Yésou 2005) and Lac de Grand-Lieu, were organised and revealed totals of c.2,500 70km away (following an attempt there in 1991, and c.3,000 respectively (the late Jo Pourreau Marion & Marion 1994). Breeding ceased at pers. comm.). Although most of these birds Branféré Zoo in 1997. frequent wetlands and adjacent pastures along Since then, colonies have been established at the Atlantic coast, they also visit rubbish dumps. various sites along the French Atlantic seaboard Some reach northern Brittany and Normandy, up to 350km south of Branféré, from Morbihan with increasing frequency, and a few move into to Gironde: at Brière Marshes (up to c.100 nests, eastern France (including a ringed bird from Lac although none in 2005, Jacques Hédin pers. de Grand-Lieu seen near the Belgian border). Figure 1. Breeding colonies and range of introduced Sacred Ibises in Europe in 2005. The main French dispersal areas are shown, but a few birds disperse much further, up to the N and E French borders and possibly abroad. Golfe du Morbihan ★★Branféré Zoo ★★Brière Loire Estuary ★Lac de Grand-Lieu ★ Colony ★Brouage ■ Main range ★ ★ Upper Po valley ■ Regular dispersal ★ in low numbers ★Arcachon ★Etang de Bages-et-Sigean 519 18-12.qxd 10-Aug-06 12:30 PM Page 520 Breeding in southern France colony during the 1980s, although these were Eight Sacred Ibises were imported from a British no longer allowed to fly free by the end of the zoo to the ‘African Reserve’ zoo at Sigean in 1990s, Andreas Buchheim pers. comm.). 1982. They were allowed to fly free by 1989 Escaped birds have occurred in most coun- and a pair bred in the zoo in 1991. Observations tries, although such records are much rarer in wetlands around the zoo became regular towards the north and east. For example, there from 1995 onwards and, in 2000, eight pairs are only four records of escapes in Poland bred in the wild at nearby Etang de Bages-et- (Tadeusz Stawarczyk pers. comm) and just one Sigean. This colony held 75 pairs by 2004 and in Sweden (and that coming from a German zoo, 105 pairs in 2005 (Yves Kayser pers. comm.). Christian Cederroth pers. comm.), compared The current total population size, including with over 70 records in Belgium (Gunter de Smet immatures and non-breeding birds, is thought and Walter Bellis pers. comm.). About 30 to be well over 250 individuals (Kayser et al. escapes have been recorded in Britain (Blair et 2005, Dominique Clément pers. comm.). These al. 2000). Escapes usually occur as singles, but birds disperse through the wetlands along the small groups have been seen in the vicinity of Mediterranean coast, reaching the Camargue to Antwerp Zoo, Belgium.
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