WHITE SHOULDERED IBIS DISCOVERED IN CAMBODIA

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Cambodia: Flock of Endangered Birds Found

 

*Thu Apr 27, 7:48 PM ET*

 

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A flock of one of the world's most endangered birds —

the white-shouldered ibis — has been discovered in a remote province in

northeast Cambodia, a conservationist said Monday.

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A flock of between 20 and 30 white-shouldered ibis, a critically endangered

species with only 250 existing in the wild, was found in a protected wetland

in Stung Treng province, said ecological adviser Kong Kimsreng of the Mekong

Wetland Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use project.

 

The flock was first found during a survey last November in the province, 150

miles northeast of Phnom Penh.

 

Their presence was confirmed in a follow-up in March, Kong Kimsreng said.

 

The flock did not appear to have fewer birds in the second survey, but he

warned that local practices pose a risk to its survival.

 

" The main threat to the white-shouldered ibis is chick- and egg-collecting

by local people, " Kong Kimsreng said. " They don't understand that this is an

important bird, that this is a rare bird in the world. They collect the

chicks to keep as pets... to make their house nice. "

 

Although it is illegal to catch the bird, wildlife protection laws are

rarely enforced, he said.