A juvenile American White Ibis has been frequenting the Kent Wildlife Trust Sevenoaks Nature Reserve since 19th October and I wondered if anyone knew if this species was kept captive in the UK? I can only find reference to Blackbrook Zoological Bird Park, Leek, Staffs having kept this species but understand it is currently closed? Anyone know if the White Ibis were relocated? The bird is a juvenile so hatched this year(?), which begs the question if White Ibis have bred successfully in the UK - again anyone know if Blackbrook was successful with this species? The bird is unringed and a question mark hangs over it's head as to if it is an escapee or genuine vagrant from the USA?!
This is correct - the only UK collection to have held the taxon in recent years was the currently-closed Blackbrook. However I believe the taxon *is* found in private UK collections, and it is not uncommon in continental collections.
If memory serves me right many of the birding people think this IS an escapee from a private collection (one does spring to mind close by but have been asked not to mention name or place on recent visits)
Cheers guys, and yes their is some discussion on birding forums regarding the origin of this bird. However the bird is a juvenile suggesting it was reared this year and I'm trying to ascertain if White Ibis are easily reared in captivity and if this has ever been successful in the UK. Of course with the proximity of Kent to the near Continent a bird from a collection there cannot be ruled out either. However the bird is unringed and with 'clean wing feathers'. I know that 3 species of Ibis were kept at Leeds Castle until the aviary closed, but not this species I believe. With the value of the birds being £500+ each you'd think it was being sought!
Here the list of current public keepers of this species : ZootierlisteHomepage At the end of the 1980-ties I've hand-raised good numbers of this species at Birdpark Walsrode in Germany and I know it is kept in quite a number of privat collections in at least the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Thanks again for replies - it also seems that there a free flying birds in the Netherlands and Canary Islands so I guess the UK bird is of questionable provenance!
The first White Ibis to be reared in the U.K. was in 1900 at London Zoo, I don't think Blackbrook ever bred them, but other U.K. zoos probably have.
