SURVEYING IBIS WINTERING GROUNDS IN ETHIOPIA

2006-09

A preliminary survey (National Geographic, RSPB, Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society), conducted in the Ethiopian wintering grounds in November 2006 (Serra et al. 2007), found only the four adults in place, evidencing that 1st year young and sub-adults winter separately in a still unknown site. Another 2 expeditions were carried out in November 2008 and January 2009 (in the framework of an IUCN/DGCS NBI project, Serra et al. 2009).

These 3 field visits showed that the adult NBIs entirely rely on pastureland and that no immediate threat is present at the wintering site. Surveys on the Ethiopian plateau were made it possible thanks to the cooperation of Mengistu Wondafrash, the director of EWNHS. A survey was carried out on Djibouti coast in January 2009 thanks to good cooperation of Houssein Rayaleh from Djibouti Nature.

Sightings of NBIs on the Ethiopian highlands were not uncommon in the past: some of these records are as early as from the nineteenth century (Welch and Welch 2004). Interestingly, the two most recent records of NBIs in the region (Eritrea in 1994, and Ethiopia highlands in 1977) are from sites where the tagged birds have passed by during their monitored migration.