First In 42 Years, Crested Ibis Bird Eggs Hatched In The Wild

Crested ibis chicks that hatch in the wild in South Korea. (Source: Yonhap via Korea Times)

JAKARTA - Two eggs of the Crested Ibis, a bird species once functionally extinct in Korea, hatched in the wild in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, Thursday, April 29, according to local officials.

This is the first confirmed case of a bird born naturally here in 42 years since the species went extinct.

Three eggs were laid by a pair of crested ibis who was born in government-run captivity in 2016 and released into the wild in 2019. Two of them have successfully hatched.

One chick hatch at around 10:12 a.m., Monday, April 26. This was followed by another who hatched at around 5:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 28, according to Changnyeong officials. Officers said the two chicks were being cared for by their mother.

The two chicks are expected to leave the nest around June 10, after which officers will continue to monitor them.

Crested ibis. (Wikimedia Commons / Danielinblue)

For your information, the crested ibis is designated as National Natural Monument No. 198, is a second-class rare animal in South Korea. Last seen in the Demilitarized Zone, this bird was thought to have become extinct in the wild in 1979.

Since 2008, the Ministry of Environment and local governments have been trying to reintroduce the species into the wild, starting with a pair of Chinese-born ibis donated by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to South Korea.

To note, the South Korean government launched a crested ibis restoration center in Changnyeong. So far, a total of 432 Crested Ibis have been reproduced through captivity, and 80 of them were released to the Upo Wetland in the area in 2019. The Ministry of Environment plans to release another 40 birds on May 6.