The Endangered Bald İbis

The bald ibis, which can only live in Birecik of Şanlıurfa in Turkey, has been victimized by those who wanted to get rid of the desert grasshoppers flooding from the south in late 1950s. The pesticides used to kill these destroyers also affected the bald ibises ; as a consequence, they faced an imminent danger of extinction and for this reason, they were taken as symbol of species to be protected. After effective works to protect them, the number of ibises has increased over the time; when they performed their first migration, the bald ibises have attracted the interest of the nature protection foundations. The Nature Foundation has been implementing projects in cooperation with the local stakeholders to protect the ibises since 2005. After proper implementation of the projects, the number of bald ibises has increased from a few to 140. Turan Çetin (30), head of Southeast Anatolia Regional Branch of The Nature Foundation, gave details on his relation with rare bird species and interesting incidents he experienced. Çetin, a computer expert who developed interest in early ages in nature preservation the natural assets, started his study on bald ibises in 2005 when he applied for a job ad posted by Nature Foundation. Turan Çetin stayed in the region for 6 consecutive months to observe the bald ibises in Birecik. He did not even rent an apartment; instead, he lived in the plain nature. When he realized that he did not want to leave the region, Çetin rent an apartment in the city. His family objected his career ambition because he was their only son. But they eventually approved his efforts. A journal for each bird Daily observations and researches should be done on a regular basis for these rare birds. Çetin starts the day by keeping journals on the birds nesting through a telescope. The journal includes data on the bird’s activities including its mate, number of eggs and the location of its nest. The bald ibis cannot be easily discerned. For this reason, each has a different plastic ring on their feet. The labels on the rings should be read very carefully. Of course, sometimes Çetin has to wait for hours as some of the birds do not display their feet. Çetin’s schedule becomes particularly hectic during the reproduction period of the bald ibis colony. Çetin says that these birds are incredible, adding that they are extraordinarily social creatures. He says: “They act collectively during flying or feeding. In case of emergency or disturbing situation, the colony is alarmed and takes off altogether. During period of reproduction, the bald ibises incubate with their mates.” Bald ibis lifestyle similar to human beings Currently, 140 bald ibises live in a special reproduction station. The critical threshold was 100; patience, hard labor and education are the key factors to overcome this threshold. Çetin recalls that it is extremely satisfying to experience the first egg or the first voyage of the broods with their parents. Noting that he learned a lot from the rare birds, Çetin says: “It is something different to share the same joy with them. You better understand yourself as you know the Kelaynaks better. You realize that they pursue a lifestyle similar to ours. And most of the time, they do the right thing while we do it wrong in our lives.” He risks life to save a Kelaynak bird Çetin shares an unforgettable memory on bald ibises: “In Spring, the bald ibises were freely flying around the Birecik sky. During my observation at the reproduction station, a wetted guy approached, holding a box. He told me that a bald ibis was electrified during its trip and fell in the Euphrates River. He further added that he risked his life to save the bird. What was strange was that the guy did not know how to swim. I asked him why he risked his life to save a bird; he replied: ‘We have been told that these birds are sacred.’ At that moment, I realized that I made the right choice when I decided to stay here.” Critical threshold overcome; migration routes being investigated The initial goal in the project was to overcome the critical threshold and increase the number of these birds to over 100. The threshold was overcome four years ago; the second goal is to investigate the migration routes of the birds. The routes are still unidentified. Recent studies seek to locate and explore the migration routes of the bald ibis. The final goal of the project is to ensure that the bald ibises migrate without external support in the wild. ,

source: sundayszaman