Tama Zoo houses a large number of Crested Ibis ibises from around the world, inhabiting temperate to tropical regions. Currently, it also houses the Crested Ibis that are being reintroduced into the wild on Sado Island, but Tokyo zoos have been cooperating in the conservation and breeding of this species since before wild Japanese crested Crested Ibis were still present on Sado Island. The many Crested Ibis species have also been useful in simulating the process of raising and protecting Crested Ibis.

Crested Ibis enclosure, home to over 100 Crested Ibis, was built in 1982, but has actually never been renovated. The ceiling is high and covered with netting to prevent the birds from bumping their heads, but it has deteriorated significantly and is quite damaged. The support pillars are rusty and have holes in them, making it a dangerous situation if left as is.

Therefore, we decided to move all the birds inside to the backyard and carry out extensive renovation work, including replacing all the ceiling netting, repairing and painting the pillars, and installing sprinklers to prevent snow accumulation.

The new home is a private enclosure for black-faced Black-faced Spoonbill. We added more perches for Crested Ibis, who prefer high places, but we couldn't get the building materials we wanted, so we ended up with a needlessly grand structure that looks like a torii gate. However, Crested Ibis all managed to coexist peacefully, sharing the space and enduring the long construction period in their cramped temporary dwelling.

The perches, nest boxes, and nesting platforms inside the cage were also replaced, and the work was finally completed about 70 days after the move.

On March 25, 2014, 112 crested Crested Ibis of 10 different species were captured and safely returned to the three cages in Crested Ibis enclosure. With the addition of Scarlet Ibis that had been released from quarantine at Ueno Zoo, as well as sandpipers and ducks, Crested Ibis enclosure has returned to its original state, housing over 120 birds.

Although the extensive renovation hasn't drastically changed the appearance, what really catches the eye are the apartment-style nest boxes used by Northern Bald Ibis. The Red-cheeked Northern Bald Ibis, which build their nests on rock ledges, have been breeding in this type of nest box for some time, but the old ones were dilapidated and on the verge of collapsing, and now they've been replaced with brand new, pristine white structures. We were worried that they might be suspicious and not use them, but they started using the nest boxes right away, and some units are already full.

Please come and see how Crested Ibis ibises live.

Photo above: Temporary housing for the Black-faced Black-faced Spoonbill
Top center photo: During the relocation process. The leg band number is checked before releasing.
Photo, bottom center: The new nest box for Northern Bald Ibis is full.
Photo below: Crested Ibis ibises safely returned after the construction work was completed.

[Takako Akikawa, Wildlife Conservatio Center Tama Zoo]

(April 11, 2014)