Rare red ibis breed in wild in China

ZHUJIAZUI, China, May 4 (UPI) -- Three red ibis chicks have been born in the wild in China to artificially bred parents, marking a key point in the rare birds' comeback, wildlife officials say.

The adult red ibises are among 13 pairs of artificially bred birds that were released May 31, 2007, in northwestern China, Xinhua reported.

The chicks were born in a nest in a tall Chinese pine tree near the village of Zhujiazui in Shaanxi province, the state-run news agency reported. The adult female laid three eggs March 15-19 and they hatched about one month later.

"The successful breeding of red ibis in the wild indicates the end of its endangered status is nearing," Chang Xiuyun, deputy secretary-general of the Shaanxi Wildlife Conservation Association, told Xinhua.

Of the adults released last year, 12 adapted to the wild, six returned to their release base, five are confirmed to have died and three are missing, said Zhang Shoucheng, director of the Ningshan Forestry Bureau.

Red ibis, once plentiful throughout China, Russia and Japan, have lingered near extinction since the 1950s. Chinese experts believe seven red ibis found in Shaanxi in 1981 were the only wild ones left in the world.

Since then, their numbers in China have surpassed 1,000, including about 550 in the wild.