Human-guided flight helps rare ibises
Rare northern bald ibises take flight in human-led European migration project
Sunday, 4 October 2026
Photo by Christopher Ford on Unsplash
Warm-up
- Have you ever seen birds flying in a V shape? Where?
- What animals in your country need protection? Why?
- Would you like to help animals as a volunteer? Why or why not?
Vocabulary
- migrate
- to travel from one place to another at certain times each year
- flock
- a group of birds that stay and fly together
- extinct
- no longer existing in the wild or anywhere
- reintroduction
- putting an animal back into the wild in a place it left
- volunteer
- a person who helps without being paid
- ultralight
- a very small, light aircraft for one or two people
- predator
- an animal that hunts and eats other animals
- colony
- a group of animals living and breeding in one place
Reading
Listen to this story
British EnglishFifteen new northern bald ibises reached Alt Empordà in Catalonia, Spain. They flew from Austria, guided by human “foster parents” in an ultralight aircraft. The birds joined a flock already living at the site.
This species was extinct in Europe for 300 years. By the end of the 20th century, numbers in Morocco fell from 9,000 to 250. Europe then began captive breeding and reintroduction in Austria and in Jerez, Andalucía.
Biologist Bernat Garrigós runs the Alt Empordà project. His team has two full-time and two part-time staff, plus 20 volunteers. The group works with Aiguamolls Park, a protected wetland, to reduce risks from predators and deaths until the birds can migrate and breed on their own.
Over 10 years, it aims for 50 breeding pairs and about 300 birds in the wild, linked in colonies across Europe.
Comprehension
- Where did the fifteen ibises arrive?
- How were the birds guided on their flight?
- How long were northern bald ibises extinct in Europe?
- Who runs the Alt Empordà project?
- What is the 10-year target for the project?
Grammar focus
Should / ought to
Use should/ought to to give advice. Form: should + base verb; ought to + base verb. Both mean the same; ought to is slightly more formal. (Examples constructed.)
- Volunteers should wear bright vests in the wetland.
- Teams ought to prepare safe routes before flights.
Grammar exercise
Complete with should/ought to + the verb in brackets.
- Staff (monitor) ___ the colony during storms for safety.
- Volunteers (report) ___ predators near nests at once.
- Foster parents (guide) ___ young birds on training flights.
- Visitors (keep) ___ a safe distance from the wetland birds.
- Coordinators (coordinate) ___ releases with park staff each season.
Discussion
- Why might birds need help to learn a migration route?
- What should people do if they find a bird nest near home?
- Is using aircraft to guide birds a good idea? Why or why not?
- Which local place could be a good stopover for birds?
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