Number of ibises
Days until migration
KM to Spain
Human-Led Migration 2026
In 2026, a group of Northern Bald Ibises will again be raised by two human foster parents and accompanied on a human-led migration to a wintering area in Spain. The chicks come from the colony at Rosegg Zoo and are initially raised by their foster parents in Rosegg, without contact with other humans, and later in a specially prepared training camp. In the training camp, they learn to follow an ultralight aircraft, with one of the foster parents on board. Afterwards, they set out together with a ground team that provides logistical support for the migration, heading south. Upon arrival in the wintering area in Spain, the birds are gradually released into the wild after an acclimatization period and become part of the migrating population.
Why spain?
Global warming is also becoming a challenge for the Northern Bald Ibis. The birds of the colonies in the northern foothills of the Alps are having increasing problems flying over the Alpine barrier in autumn. A new migration corridor to Andalusia should enable them to reach a suitable wintering area without being hindered by the barrier of the Alps.
Click here for the latest pictures and information:
Latest Updates:
The visiting hours at the training camp for the 2026 season ended on 2 August.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone who visited, engaged in so many interesting conversations, and showed such great interest in our project.
Start of the Human-Led Migration 2026:
The planned start of the human-led migration was originally scheduled for 17 August 2026. However, due to the weather conditions, the start has repeatedly had to be postponed.
Update (20 August 2026) ***Next planned departure: Sunday, 23 August 2026***
Although the wind is expected to become more favorable for our flight from Binningen to Hütten in the Hotzenwald, as forecast, we have decided to play it safe and, based on the current outlook, not start on Saturday (22 August) as initially expected, but wait until Sunday (23 August).
On the one hand, we want to avoid the risk of having to turn back. On the other hand, there are also strategic reasons: Monday is expected to offer suitable conditions for the onward flight to France. If we fly on Sunday, we could therefore continue on to Besançon the very next day.
So, our next planned departure date is Sunday, 23 August.
Given the current weather conditions, it is generally better to start early, so we are once again planning to take off at 07:00. This means that visitors should arrive at the airfield by 06:30.
Please note: When visiting the camp, please leave your dogs at home and avoid wearing yellow clothing.
Contact: info@waldrappteam.at
NEXT STOP: Stage 1 – Hütten-Hotzenwald (Germany)
Destination: Hütten-Hotzenwald Airfield (Germany)
Flight time: 1 hr 40 min
Flight distance: 70 km
Timetable for human-led migration 2026
CW 15 - 16
Collection of approximately 32 Northern Bald Ibis chicks at Rosegg Zoo (Carinthia).
CW 15 - 20
The chicks are hand-raised for the first few weeks in Rosegg (Carinthia).
CW 20 - 33
Relocation to the training camp in Binningen (Hilzingen): habituation to themicrolight and step-by-step training of the young birds until they are eventually able to perform proper training flights.
In June and July, there will be the opportunity to visit the camp at scheduled times, observe the young northern bald ibises from a distance, and learn more about the project.
Visiting hours: from June 5, 2026
Friday to Sunday, 3:00 PM–5:00 PM
Note: Please leave your dogs at home when visiting the camp and avoid wearing yellow clothing.
Update: The visiting hours at the training camp for the 2026 season ended on 2 August.
Contact: info@waldrappteam.at
CW 33 - 40
Migration through Germany, France, and Spain:
final destination: Andalusia (ES)
CW 50
Release of the HLM 2026 birds in spain.
Migration Diary 2026
August 19, 2026
After two days during which the weather conditions made a takeoff impossible, a small window of opportunity opened up this morning. Since the weather forecast for the coming days is also rather uncertain, we decided to give it a try and take off as early as possible.
For a while, everything seemed perfect: We took off at 07:00. The birds immediately followed the aircraft, and the flying conditions were also good at the beginning. However, we had to cross a small mountain pass, and the flight team increasingly had to contend with headwinds. After about 10 km, just before reaching the pass, the headwind slowed us down to a ground speed of only around 10 km/h. This was already critical, so it was time to turn back to Binningen.
On the way back, we now had a tailwind, which accelerated us to a maximum speed of 83 km/h.
This situation did not come entirely unexpectedly, as wind had been forecast. However, based on the forecast, we felt it was worth giving it a try.
The next takeoff is expected to be on Saturday, as even stronger winds are forecast for tomorrow and rain is highly likely on Friday. The current probability of flying is therefore 0% for tomorrow, Thursday; 20% for Friday; and 70% for Saturday.
📷 B. Steininger
18 August 2026
The birds are ready, the whole team has gathered, and the camp is ready to move. And then, on the exact day we planned to take off, rain arrives for the first time in weeks.
Yesterday, after taking a close look at the forecast, we postponed our migration start, which had been scheduled for Monday, 17 August. Some things simply cannot be influenced, even with the best preparations.
But our spirits are still high, and the migration mood has only just begun! The team is using the extra time to get to know each other, familiarize themselves with the processes, and make some final preparations.
We are closely monitoring the forecast for tomorrow and hope to finally get started then. For now, the chances of a migration start are around 80%.
📷 P.Wimmer
10 August 2026
We are ready to go! The last training flights with our 30 northern bald ibises have shown that the birds are ready for migration! They reliably fly alongside their foster mother in the air and have no fear of the aircraft whatsoever. For our team, this means: We’re ready for take-off!
We are planning to depart from Binningen on 17 August. The first stage will take us around 70 kilometres to Hütten Hotzenwald. This will also be the only leg of the journey in Germany. The next flight will take us on to France.
This year, too, the flight team will be accompanied by a highly motivated ground crew, fully equipped and prepared for every eventuality. We are excited and heading into the final week before departure with great motivation.
📷 E. Bajka
3 August 2026
Today’s diary entry was written by our interns Naira, Madeleine, Bori and Amelie. They are completing a four-week internship as part of our project, funded by the Austrian Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft (FFG).
For the past two weeks, we have been part of the team, supporting the project. We all share one common goal: to successfully complete the Northern Bald Ibis migration to Spain.
Of course, the foster mothers play an indispensable role as the birds’ primary caregivers, as do the project’s founder and pilot, who leads the migration, and our sponsors, whose financial support makes the project possible. However, none of this important work could happen without many helping hands.
This is where we come in – Naira Gruber, Madeleine Cashen, Bori Nagy-Pataky and Amelie Titelbach. The four of us take on a range of tasks that mostly happen behind the scenes but are essential to keeping everything running smoothly.
One of our main responsibilities is preparing food for the birds. This includes mixing the meat as well as cleaning and feeding the mealworms. We also help keep the camp running by cooking, carrying out a variety of cleaning tasks, and making everyday life easier so that the scientists can focus as much as possible on the project itself.
In addition, we assist with the training sessions, whether at the airfield, where we keep an eye on air traffic, or in the escort car, from which we help find the quickest route while following the aircraft. We are also responsible for digitising the data collected throughout the entire process.
It is honestly incredible how much we have learned in just these few days—not only about the science and the work behind such an important conservation project, but also about life at a campsite.
None of this would be possible without our camp leader, Amelie Muntschick. She makes sure everything runs smoothly, always keeps track of what’s going on, and supports us wherever she can. In such a short time, we have already become a close-knit community, and that is exactly what makes working here so special.
30 July 2026
Flight training is now well advanced, with the birds currently completing flights over distances of more than 20 kilometres. They reliably follow the aircraft and are flying increasingly close to it. In addition, they are showing the first signs of formation flying and are making increasingly efficient use of thermal updrafts whenever conditions are favourable.
Further training flights to various airfields in the surrounding area are scheduled over the next two days. The main objectives are to further improve coordination between the flight team and the birds, and to provide the young ibises with additional experience under different flying conditions and flight techniques.
A small setback amid these encouraging training successes was the leg fracture of one juvenile bird during a training flight. Fortunately, the injured bird was able to receive prompt treatment. The patient is currently being cared for by a project staff member and will be released once it has fully recovered. Unfortunately, it will not be able to take part in the flight training and, consequently, in the human-led migration.
The training camp at Binningen airfield can still be visited until and including 2 August during visiting hours from Friday to Sunday, between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm.
A. Schmalstieg
July 23, 2026
Public outreach is also an important part of our project and the hand-rearing program. Wherever we set up our hand-rearing camp, it is important to us to involve local communities and provide information about the reintroduction of the Northern Bald Ibis.
We are delighted that public interest in the region has been so strong. Therefore, our camp manager, Amelie Muntschick, kindly agreed to give a presentation at the Impulshaus Engen about the 2026 hand-rearing season. Around 50 interested visitors attended the event. Following Amelie’s engaging presentation, the audience’s numerous questions were answered in detail with the support of Anne-Gabriela Schmalstieg and Rudi Beck.
We are very pleased about the great interest in our project, which is also reflected in the high number of visitors to the camp. The hand-rearing camp can still be visited during opening hours until and including the coming weekend (July 31–August 2). Further information on visiting hours can be found at the top of this page.
A. Schmalstieg
2 July 2026
A lot has happened at the training camp at Binningen/Hilzingen airfield since the first free flight. Several times a week, the young Northern Bald Ibises are trained to gradually become familiar with the microlight aircraft and learn to follow it confidently in flight.
After foster mothers Eszter and Fabienne first introduced their birds to the aircraft and its large parachute on the ground, training has now progressed to the next stage. Today, the team successfully completed its first landing outside the airfield grounds. Both the foster mothers and the young ibises are mastering these new challenges with great enthusiasm and motivation.
All training sessions follow a training concept that was revised for this year’s season. The goal is clear: by the start of the human-led migration in mid-August, the birds should be sufficiently trained to reliably follow their foster mother in the microlight aircraft through the air.
📷 J. Fritz
15 June 2026
Today marked the first free flight of the young Northern Bald Ibises in Binningen. This is always one of the most exciting and memorable days of the season: for the very first time, the foster parents open the aviary doors, and the young birds take their first wingbeats under the open sky. As they explore the surroundings of the camp, they also gain their very first experiences of flying freely.
This day is an important milestone, as it shows whether the foster parents’ intensive efforts have paid off and whether the young birds have developed a strong bond with them. Only if this relationship of trust has been successfully established will the ibises reliably return to their human foster parents after their first flights.For the young birds, however, there is still a great deal to learn. They must learn how to orient themselves in the open air, master safe landings, and find their way back to the familiar surroundings of the camp. It is therefore not unusual for individual birds to set off on longer exploratory flights or to take some time before finding their way home.
On the morning of 15 June, this year’s group enthusiastically took to the bright blue sky for their first flights. As expected, the flock’s flight formation was still rather disorganized and chaotic at first. With increasing flight experience, however, their movements will soon become much more coordinated, graceful, and elegant.
Most importantly, the majority of the young ibises returned exactly as hoped to their foster mothers, Eszter and Fabienne. Three of their protégés initially decided to embark on a small adventure. Two of them returned to the camp later that same evening, while the third missing bird safely found its way back the following day, where it was eagerly awaited.
Following this successful first free flight, the next stage of training can now begin. Step by step, the young Northern Bald Ibises will be introduced to the microlight aircraft and all the procedures involved in flying together, preparing them for the remarkable migration journey that lies ahead.
May 19, 2026
After a wet and frosty first week at the camp, the sun is finally beginning to appear more frequently over our camp at Binningen airfield. Both people and birds seem to have settled in well: while the camp is being fully set up and the field kitchen officially inaugurated, the first five birds have already fledged.
One after another, they made their first wingbeats from the entrance of the rearing trailer out into the aviary — closely watched by their younger siblings with curious and perhaps slightly jealous looks. Over the course of the coming week, all of the young Northern Bald Ibises will gradually take the leap into the aviary.
With that, life for both the birds and their foster mothers is increasingly moving outdoors: out of the rearing trailer and into the lush green meadow beneath what we hope will soon be permanently blue skies.
📷 The photo shows Kobold during his first excursion into the aviary. Not only the two foster mothers, but Kobold himself also seems visibly proud of this achievement.
May 14, 2026
Eagerly testing their wings, the young Northern Bald Ibises are ready to leave the nest, and with it, the hand raising container in Rosegg. We truly enjoyed our time in Rosegg and would like to sincerely thank Tierpark Rosegg for all the help and support throughout the past weeks.
The training camp is always located close to a breeding colony, as this is where the birds will later return from their wintering grounds once they reach sexual maturity. This year, the camp is located near Lake Constance, allowing the birds of HLM 2026 to later integrate into the Überlingen colony.
Although we originally planned to establish the camp at the Riedlingen airfield, we unfortunately had to cancel those plans at the very last minute due to spatial limitations. We are therefore even more grateful that the Binningen airfield, where the hand raising team already stayed in 2023, offered to host us again this year.
After part of the team, together with several helpers, set up the camp in Binningen within a very short time, the birds could be transferred there on Thursday afternoon. Following a long journey, they arrived safely in Binningen during the night and moved into their brand new hand raising trailer.
All young ibises handled the trip very well and are already curiously exploring their new surroundings, especially the opening leading into their aviary. In just a few days, the first birds will dare the leap into the unknown and fly out into the aviary.
📷 B. Steininger
May 6, 2026
Hard to believe, but our time at Tierpark Rosegg is already coming to an end.
Most of our chicks now weigh over one kilogram. There’s a lot going on in the had-raising-container: the chicks are busily moving back and forth between the nests, and the larger ones are eagerly testing their now well-feathered wings. A clear sign that the container will soon be too small for this lively bunch.
At the beginning of next week, we will therefore move to our training camp in southern Germany. There, the Northern Bald Ibises will be housed in a brand-new rearing trailer connected to a spacious aviary. Once they are around 40 days old, they will be able to attempt their first real wingbeats.
The foster mothers and the rest of the team will live and work in the field camp until August. We are very much looking forward to this new phase of the rearing season, even though we will certainly miss our supporters here in Rosegg and the mountains.
📷 E. Bajka
April 20, 2026
Our family is complete!
After the fourth and final chick collection, 32 Northern Bald Ibis chicks are now sitting in eight nests in the rearing container in Rosegg. The two foster mothers are now busy around the clock feeding, caring for, and keeping the lively flock in good spirits.
The age difference between the youngest and oldest chicks is no more than 14 days. At the moment, the developmental differences are still very noticeable: our oldest chick is now 20 days old. The larger chicks in the group have already started climbing from one nest to another.
A bustling group of Northern Bald Ibises, fully devoted to their current main task: eating, growing, and thriving.
April 8, 2026
After extensive planning and dedicated preparations, the time has finally come: the 2026 hand-rearing season can begin!
For Fabienne and Eszter, this is their first season in the role of foster mothers, and the excitement is accordingly high as six chicks from the colony at Tierpark Rosegg are placed in their care. Initially supported by Barbara, a former foster mother, they quickly learn how to properly care for their chicks.
The 2026 hand-rearing team also includes Amelie, who is responsible for camp management and, in a way, for supporting the foster mothers, as well as Yun, a Chinese PhD student who will collect data this season and support the core team.
A strong, motivated team that is starting this adventure full of enthusiasm and anticipation.
April 14, 2026
Our bird group is growing and thriving! By now, the two foster mothers have 22 beaks to feed – and a few more are yet to come.
We take over the chicks for hand-raising at an age of three to eight days. Especially during the first weeks after hatching, the Northern Bald Ibises grow rapidly and steadily gain weight. In the container, the chicks spend their days in a rhythm of feeding, sleeping, and cuddling with their foster parents.