Northern Bald Ibises, Gone From Europe for Centuries, Follow Ultralight Aircraft to Rebuild a Migration Route

Fifteen young northern bald ibises have been guided to Catalonia in northern Spain by ultralight aircraft flown by their human foster parents, the latest step in a project to rebuild a migration route for a species that disappeared from Europe centuries ago, according to Brit Brief.

Foster parents who fly the route with the birds

The Austria-based Waldrappteam raises the chicks with human foster parents, who then fly an ultralight aircraft ahead of the flock to lead it south. The 2026 journey began in mid-August, passed through France and ended in Spain, according to the Waldrappteam. The team has about 20 years of experience guiding birds this way.

A route that links Austria, Catalonia and Andalusia

The route connects Austria with Alt Empordà in Catalonia, which acts as a stopover, and with Jerez in Andalusia. The Alt Empordà project began in 2024 and had a first generation of nearly 60 ibises by 2025. It works with the Aiguamolls Park wetland reserve, and the birds are released at Torre d'en Mornau, a converted army stable. Local biologist Bernat Garrigós, who runs the project, said of the birds: “They are such intelligent birds. Very sociable, all with different personalities.”

A species with a narrow safety net

The northern bald ibis is classed as critically endangered. It went extinct in Europe in the 17th century, and the only wild population that survived, in Morocco, fell from about 9,000 birds to 250 by the late 20th century. The Alt Empordà project aims for at least 50 breeding pairs, roughly 300 birds, within ten years. Brit Brief reports that mortality among the released birds has been much lower than in earlier projects, which organizers credit to working with the experienced teams in Austria and Jerez.