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Crested Ibis in Japan

Discussion in 'Wildlife & Nature Conservation' started by Chlidonias, 11 Jul 2014.

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  1. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    Exciting news for those of us who, when young, thought this species would be extinct before we made adulthood.

    As a bit of background, at the start of the 1980s there were just five known birds of this species, all in Japan. These five were captured in 1981 and placed in captivity in an attempt to breed them but they were all so old that they never did so. Then, in a miraculous reprieve, a tiny colony (just four adult birds) was found in the middle of China. Today there are about 500-odd birds.

    And now they are back in Japan again.

    Second-generation ?wild? crested ibis chick leaves nest - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun
     
    Chlidonias, 11 Jul 2014
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  2. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    It is a welcome news item and testament to the fact that a well-planned recovery effort can make that difference. Equally important, is that in many species transboundary issues complicate conservation action. It is good to know the cooperation between P.R. China and Japan has been more stable on this effort throughout the years. To come back from just 9 birds (including those 5 old Japanese cresteds) to over 500 birds is an achievement of some proportion.

    Thanks for sharing!
     
    Kifaru Bwana, 11 Jul 2014
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  3. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Must be one of the smallest-sized bird populations to sustain a turn around.(from four individuals)

    Next might be N.Z. Black robin( five individuals but mainly one pair.)

    ....or the Laysan teal.
     
    Pertinax, 11 Jul 2014
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  4. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    I'd say the Black Robin is a greater turnaround, as one fertile female and four other individuals (cannot recall how many were male and how many were infertile female) is a more tenuous population in my opinion than was the Chinese population of the crested ibis, which in 1981 numbered in total seven individuals - not four as Chli states - comprising four adults and three juveniles.
     
    TeaLovingDave, 11 Jul 2014
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  5. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I believe the last five were three males and two females. I think both females did breed but success was chiefly due to the one female 'old blue'(from its ring) whose remarkabe lifespan allowed her to lay plenty of clutches- some of which were fostered on tomtits etc.
     
    Pertinax, 11 Jul 2014
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  6. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    yes I phrased that bit really badly. I meant it as the adult population was just four birds, not that being the total number of individuals in the colony.
     
    Chlidonias, 11 Jul 2014
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  7. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    Chlidonias, 11 Jul 2014
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  8. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I would say that I'm glatt both species - crested ibis and black robin - have made it ( for the moment ) !
     
    vogelcommando, 12 Jul 2014
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  9. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    vogelcommando, 3 Jun 2016
    #9
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  10. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    Chlidonias, 3 Jun 2016
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  11. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    In some way I mself have contributed to this succes ;) ! At the time I was working at Walsrode ( must be in 1987 or 1988 ) a group of Chinese scientists and zoo-keepers from Bejing Zoo ( at that time still known as Peking Zoo ) came to Walsrode to learn about hand-raising ibisses. At that time every year large numbers of several ibis-species were hand-raised at Walsrode. It was part of my job to do the hand-raising during the summer-time and I had to deal a lot with the Chinese zoo-keepers. The Chinese people wanted to learn the hand-raising to use it in their breeding-station for the Crested ibis and they did their job well. Its these Chinese birds which were send to Japan and used there for the re-introduction-programm.
     
    vogelcommando, 3 Jun 2016
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  12. baboon

    baboon Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Well done and thank you, vogelcommando:D
     
    baboon, 12 Jun 2016
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  13. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    vogelcommando, 13 Oct 2016
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  14. Goura

    Goura Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I'm planning to go to Japan later this year and was wondering where I could see Crested Ibis. Is there anywhere fairly close to Tokyo?
     
    Goura, 20 Mar 2017
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  15. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    the only ones on public display in a zoo are at Ishikawa Zoo, which is on the opposite coast to Tokyo but easily reached.
    Endangered crested ibis to go on display outside Sado：The Asahi Shimbun

    The reintroduced wild ones are all on Sado Island which is somewhat north of Ishikawa. Sado can be reached by ferry, and there is a breeding centre there which can be visited.
    See here, for example: Toki-no-mori Park
     
    Chlidonias, 20 Mar 2017
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  16. Goura

    Goura Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Thanks for that information. I've taken a look at google maps - is it feasible as a day trip? I have no idea of distances in Japan
     
    Goura, 20 Mar 2017
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  17. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    a long day, I'd say so. Take a look at the following link which has modes of transport. There are numerous flights daily between Tokyo and Ishikawa. Train seems to take between two and four hours. Bus or taxi probably six or so hours.
    How to Get There / Tourism ISHIKAWA Official Ishikawa Travel Guide

    I have no idea on costs for any of those options, but probably train would be your best method.
     
    Chlidonias, 21 Mar 2017
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  18. Goura

    Goura Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Thanks for that information. I've received quite a lot of advice from my Japanese students on this but am thinking it might be an overnight trip
     
    Goura, 21 Mar 2017
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  19. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    vogelcommando, 21 Nov 2017
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  20. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    vogelcommando, 3 Jan 2018
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