Zug, 07.10.2024
Rare Visitor: Northern Bald Ibis "Knuckle" Makes a Stopover in Zug
A feathered guest recently spent two days near Herti, Zug. Carlo Monegatti captured images of the bird during its stopover.
Plumage also needs to be cared for. Photo: Carlo Monigatti
At first glance, one might assume this bird escaped from the aviary at Landsgemeindeplatz. While Northern Bald Ibises (known as Waldrapps) are indeed kept in aviaries and are extremely rare in the wild, this was a wild bird.
According to its ring number, the bird in question was identified as "Knuckle," the juvenile offspring of a Northern Bald Ibis pair named Rupert and Enea. In 2023, this pair successfully hatched young birds in the municipality of Rümlang, Zurich—the first time this has happened in 400 years.
The Northern Bald Ibis is a protected species throughout Europe. "Seeing one in Zug is unusual and happens only every few years," said Benedikt Steinle from the Ornithological Society. However, the species was driven to extinction in Europe in the 17th century, primarily as a food source during the Thirty Years' War.
The Northern Bald Ibis is a migratory bird. "There are extensive reintroduction programs, especially in Bavaria and Austria, aimed at preserving the species," Steinle explained. "The birds seen here likely originate from these programs and sometimes lose their way while migrating south through Switzerland."