A specimen from the WaldrappTeam made a stop at the Torre d’en Mornau aviary during its return journey, connecting for the first time the populations from Austria and Jerez with the new population established in the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà.
Frigg is a northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) that took part in the Waldrappteam assisted migration project in 2023. During its return journey northwards, the bird stopped at the facilities of the Catalan project, which is only just beginning its work but is already on track in its first year to fulfil the objective of facilitating the connection between the populations in Austria and Jerez.
WaldrappTeam is renowned for its pioneering work in the reintroduction of the species through assisted migrations. These are carried out with juvenile birds in their first year of life, which, despite being born in captivity, retain their migratory instinct.
Initially guided by humans, these birds, bred in Austria, have spent the past twenty years learning the migratory route southwards. At first, the route led to Orbetello, Italy, but since 2023 the assisted migration route has taken specimens of this endangered species from Austria to Cádiz, where the northern bald ibises of Proyecto Eremita also live as a sedentary population, thus completing the connection between both populations.
After spending approximately two years in Cádiz, the natural instinct of these birds fully emerges. It is then that individuals such as Frigg undertake the return journey autonomously, following the routes they have learned while often also exploring new territories.
Frigg’s visit to the Catalan project is not merely a curious anecdote, but clear evidence that reintroduced populations can begin to interconnect. This type of interaction is essential to ensuring the genetic diversity and future viability of the species.
The promoters of the reintroduction projects are celebrating this event as a major step forward. The connection between populations not only strengthens conservation efforts, but also demonstrates that assisted migration strategies can succeed in the long term.
This historic event gives new momentum to northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) recovery projects and reinforces the hope that, over time, these birds will once again naturally occupy their former territories.
Frigg’s visit to the Empordà
The northern bald ibis arrived at the facilities of the Projecte Ibis Ermità on Sunday, 19 April. Frigg has shown a remarkably high capacity for adaptation to the context of the Catalan project. Furthermore, upon arrival, the bird displayed markedly opportunistic and competitive feeding behaviour, tending to monopolise the available resources and actively interfere with the feeding of other individuals. It should be noted that this is an older individual, a factor that could explain its more assertive behaviour and its ability to displace other birds during feeding episodes.
This situation has required direct intervention by the project’s technical team, which carefully manages the supplementary feeding points intended for free-ranging birds. The objective of this intervention is threefold: firstly, to prevent Frigg from benefiting from these artificial resources and reinforcing its dependence on the site; secondly, to encourage this individual, given its experience and possible leadership role, to act as a model for the others, promoting the learning of natural foraging behaviour rather than dependence on supplementary feeding points; and finally, to encourage the continuation of its natural migratory behaviour, favouring the resumption of its intended route towards Austria.
