A couple from Austria, Helena Wachner and Johannes Fritz, guided a flock of 36 Northern Bald Ibises on a migration route spanning approximately 2600 km, traveling from Germany to southern Spain while flying alongside the birds in paragliders, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The Northern Bald Ibis is among the rarest bird species globally. Centuries ago, over 400 years in fact, they were eradicated from Europe due to hunting and consequently lost their innate migratory instincts. To reintroduce these birds into the wild, researchers found it necessary to literally teach them the correct migratory path. Chicks raised in Germany and Austria were accustomed from their earliest weeks to follow a paraglider, thereby fostering a strong social bond with their “foster parents.”
Due to shifts in climate, the thermal updrafts over the Alps have become insufficient for the ibises, prompting the team to alter the conventional route to a Spanish destination. Upon their arrival, the birds were placed in an aviary to adjust. Once they reach sexual maturity, they will be returned to Germany for breeding purposes.
The challenge persists: last year, due to severe winds and rain, the flock did not reach Andalusia, and some birds even sustained injuries from collisions with power lines.
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