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One of the released Ibis found a temporary perch atop bird lover, Tom Rusert of Sonoma. Larger image (Photo: © Jay Holcomb/IBRRC) |
T
he time finally arrived for our orphaned White-faced Ibis to leave IBRRC and rejoin the wild flocks at a carefully chosen spot in the Sacramento Valley.
A total of 31 birds were released at the Vic Fazio Wildlife Area where other white faced ibis congregate and feed. Every ibis had been adopted and many of their supporters were there to open the cages. Television crews and newspaper reporters were on hand to record and document this rare event.
Our organization would like to thank all the people who helped contribute their time and resources to make this release possible. We would also like to thank all our donors and volunteers for their generous contributions toward the welfare of the ibis.
In appreciation of everyone's generosity, IBRRC invited the public and press to the release on Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 10:00 am. It was a beautiful day and the ibis didn’t disappoint. Suddenly, without any walls around them, they faced the wild and for some it was a little scary. They took their time assessing the surroundings. A few brave ones tested their wings and flew to wild ibis feeding around 150 feet in front of them. Others took to the skies, circling the crowd and landing back at the release site. By noon, all had found the courage to join their wild relatives and blend into the flock. The only way to tell them apart was by their Federal bands.
The colony of White-faced Ibis was rescued from a three acre rice field that was harvested on Saturday, July 21, 2007 forcing hundreds of parents to abandon their babies and nests. 78 live baby ibis and eggs were rescued and taken to International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) in Cordelia. The California Dept. of Fish and Game is investigating; all migratory birds are protected by Federal laws.
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Headed home, Ibis is released back to the wild. |
Rarely seen, baby ibis look very much like little dinosaurs. As they grow, the stripes on their beaks disappear, their brown eyes turn red, and their dirty white and pale brown feathers become a rich brown with metallic purple, bronze and green highlights. At the juvenile stage, it is hard to imagine that these gangly birds becoming beautiful and elegant flyers.
More IBRRC photos
In the news:
Vacaville Reporter release gallery
News-10 report
Vacaville Reporter rescue slide show
CBS-TV-5 Bay City News report
How to help the Ibis chicks
Adopt-an-Ibis
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