The Northern Bald Ibis, a critically-endangered bird, faces its greatest-ever threat of extinction in Syria after the Islamic extremist terrorist group IS took the ancient city of Palmyra, ornithologists (bird experts) warn. BBC reports that a tiny breeding colony was found near Palmyra, 2002.. During the fighting, three captive birds were taken by guards who ran away. The fate of the birds is unknown. Bird Life International claims that the Northern Bald Ibis, which is considered the most endangered bird in Middle East, is the only one. Officials have offered a reward of US$1 ,000 if they find the fourth bird. Officials need to find the female ibis. The survival of the small colony is dependent on the finding of the missing female. Ornithologists at The Society for the Protection of Nature (Lebanon) told the BBC. Zenobia is the female in the colony who knows about the winter migration routes from Ethiopia. The other birds can’t be released without her presence. According to experts, the Northern Bald Ibis in Syria will soon become extinct if she passes away. According to the BBC, Asaad Sehal, the head of the Society said that culture and nature go hand-in-hand. War stops but no one can save a species. The Northern Bald Ibis is a migratory bird. It’s usually found in semi-desert areas, often near water. The Northern Bald Ibis feeds a chick. Image: Wikimedia. The glossy black bird measures between 28 to 31 inches cm and cm. It is not wading, unlike other birds of the ibis family. The bird has a red, long-curved bill, and an elongated, featherless head with a red face. The colonial breeds on the coast’s cliff edges, where it lays up to three eggs in a stick-shaped nest. The prey it prefers are insects, lizards and small mammals. Geronticus, also known as Geronticus Ermita, was once common in northern Africa, central Europe, and the Middle East. The European version of the Northern Bald Ibis disappeared more than three hundred years ago. Critically endangered is the Northern Bald Ibis. There are only about 500 wild birds left in southern Morocco, while there is less than 10 remaining in Syria. To increase their numbers, programs have been established in Turkey, Spain and Austria to reintroduce them. Although experts aren’t sure of the reasons, they suspect that loss in foraging habitat and hunting as well as pesticide poisoning have contributed to their decline over recent decades. Video: Reintroduction of the Northern Bald Ibis to Europe
