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Forgotten history: What caused the disappearance of the northern bald heron in Europe?
The Northern Bald Heron, Geronticus eremita, is an ancient migratory bird that was once widely distributed in the Middle East, North Africa, and southern and central Europe. This glossy black, long-legged bird, with its typically featherless red face and long, curved red beak, makes it a biologically unique creature. However, the disappearance of the northern bald heron in Europe is the result of the combined effects of human activities and environmental changes, making it a species in urgent need of revitalization and protection.
The disappearance of the northern bald heron is not accidental; it is closely related to generations of hunting, habitat loss and human persecution.
The northern bald heron was a popular bird when it flourished across the vast Eurasian continent, dating back to at least 1.8 million years ago. They usually nest on cliffs on the coast or hillsides and feed on small animals such as lizards and insects. The bird has a relatively slow breeding cycle, usually laying only two to four eggs per clutch, and long-term environmental changes and overhunting have made reproduction difficult in these habitats.
With the development of modern agriculture, the habitat of the northern bald heron was destroyed. Coupled with the history of hunting, this bird declined for several generations and finally disappeared from the European sky 300 years ago. Disappeared in the.
"The existence of the northern bald heron is more or less closely related to human culture. In some places, it is even sacred and becomes part of tradition and belief."
In the absence of protective measures, the fate of the northern bald heron has further deteriorated. In Turkey, the last breeding population of this species reached about 3,000 in the early 20th century, but decades of hunting and habitat loss brought it to a critical point, and it was completely extinct in Turkey by 1992. In contrast, the number of Morocco's northern condor has been partially preserved due to religious beliefs, and there are still about 700 wild birds in Morocco today.
Reintroduction programs are also underway in some parts of Europe, such as Austria, Italy and Spain, and these efforts aim to restore the species' natural habitat. Relevant data show that the breeding population in Morocco gradually recovered in the 1990s, and according to a 2018 assessment, the protection level of this species was downgraded from "critically endangered" to "endangered".
“Although the northern bald heron’s numbers have rebounded in Morocco, many challenges remain for the species’ future, including hunting, habitat protection and human disturbance.”
The survival of the northern bald heron cannot exist independently of human activities. At a time when species are disappearing around the world, understanding this unique bird and how it once thrived can help inform current conservation efforts. Although the role of this bird in the natural environment may be overlooked, its importance in the ecosystem cannot be underestimated. Without continued protection in the future, will the disappearance of the northern bald heron become part of history repeating itself?
