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The long flight to teach an endangered ibis species to migrate

74 points by FinnLobsien 2y ago

pvg 2y ago
https://archive.is/XcbSW https://archive.is/XcbSW
p_ing 2y ago
More on Bill Lishman: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-wednesday-edition-1.4471382/remembering-artist-bill-lishman-the-man-who-flew-with-canadian-geese-1.4471389 https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-wednesday...
stevenwoo 2y ago
Video excerpt from Planet Earth series:https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gy5b6x https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gy5b6x text BBC coverage in non New Yorker style:https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231130-the-scientists-flying-with-rare-birds https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231130-the-scientists-f... All of the Planet Earth series is worth watching, if a bit depressing sometimes IMHO, the making of bits at the end of most episodes is informative as well.
- shermantanktop 2y ago
  It’s so common. Amazing nature documentaries filled with the wonder of life, cute animals, interesting science…and a long parade of grim warnings about ecological destruction and catastrophe. I know why they do it, and I am already deeply concerned about that stuff, but outrage leads to fatigue.
  - cruffle_duffle 2y ago
    It absolutely leads to fatigue and really keeps me from watching those shows. Like I get it… I do… but it is preachy and annoying. It feels like “buddy you are preaching to the choir but there absolutely nothing I can do” The issues surrounding almost all of that are incredibly complex and are deeply tied to socioeconomic, political, and god knows what other factors. In all honestly they are probably unsolvable. Show me the cute animals and let me form my own judgments. Don’t make me feel like an asshole for existing. I didn’t cause that shit and I am powerless to stop it. And even then, I don’t want to hear it in the context of that show.
I_ 2y ago
The long arc of entropy. Easier to not spill the glass than to clear it up, but fascinating to learn how in any case.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- MattGaiser 2y ago
  It is when you could leave someone else to clean it up, which is what happened here.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
ge96 2y ago
Hmm robot bird(s) time perhaps edit: (to lead the migration)
- metalman 2y ago
  Great idea! Lots of possibility! Vid, below is of a newer flapping wing "hawk" robot bird https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TXg-qoRN0co https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TXg-qoRN0co
  - ge96 2y ago
    yeah longevity is a problem, ornithopters are pretty impressive but the flapping mechanism is brutal (high rpm motor with high gearing) and the noise not sure if the wings were covered in panels and it landed/spread its wings on the ground how long to charge but yeah there was a hopping bird recently too so being able to take off again would be good
- stevenwoo 2y ago
  Two of the glider pilots raise the chicks for months at a time. So when we have something that can not only fly but hand raise chicks to full grown and also nurture that bond while on stops on the journey to teach the ibis the path.
  - ge96 2y ago
    Yeah that bond/recognition could be something (hard to do with a robot)
    - stevenwoo 2y ago
      It might be possible, they do minimize human contact with other some other animals we are trying to raise in captivity or only have the same humans wearing a fur/feather suit/puppet to lower the animals' acclimation to other humans, so the animals stay wilder, and in this instance got the loons to associate a shade of yellow with their handlers/gliders, but definitely a hurdle to get over.
whalesalad 2y ago
One of my favorite movies as a kid was Fly Away Home which is really a similar story - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_Away_Home https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_Away_Home TIL it is based on a true story. Going to have to re-watch this soon.
- mitchbob 2y ago
  The article mentions that the film was the inspiration for the leader of this project.
trhway 2y ago
The Supreme Leader of Russian Cranes https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2012/sep/06/vladimir-putin-siberian-cranes-deltaplane-video https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2012/sep/06/vladimir...
dang 2y ago
I found one past thread, but I vaguely remember others—anyone? Bird came back from extinction – scientists in glider are teaching it to migrate - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41385300 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41385300 - Aug 2024 (1 comment)
- NaOH 2y ago
  How a determined scientist taught an ancient species to migrate again (2013) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8307442 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8307442 - Sept 2014 (1 comment)

74 points by FinnLobsien 2y ago

pvg 2y ago

https://archive.is/XcbSW https://archive.is/XcbSW

More on Bill Lishman: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-wednesday-edition-1.4471382/remembering-artist-bill-lishman-the-man-who-flew-with-canadian-geese-1.4471389 https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-wednesday...

stevenwoo 2y ago

Video excerpt from Planet Earth series:https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gy5b6x https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gy5b6x text BBC coverage in non New Yorker style:https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231130-the-scientists-flying-with-rare-birds https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231130-the-scientists-f... All of the Planet Earth series is worth watching, if a bit depressing sometimes IMHO, the making of bits at the end of most episodes is informative as well.

shermantanktop 2y ago
It’s so common. Amazing nature documentaries filled with the wonder of life, cute animals, interesting science…and a long parade of grim warnings about ecological destruction and catastrophe. I know why they do it, and I am already deeply concerned about that stuff, but outrage leads to fatigue.
- cruffle_duffle 2y ago
  It absolutely leads to fatigue and really keeps me from watching those shows. Like I get it… I do… but it is preachy and annoying. It feels like “buddy you are preaching to the choir but there absolutely nothing I can do” The issues surrounding almost all of that are incredibly complex and are deeply tied to socioeconomic, political, and god knows what other factors. In all honestly they are probably unsolvable. Show me the cute animals and let me form my own judgments. Don’t make me feel like an asshole for existing. I didn’t cause that shit and I am powerless to stop it. And even then, I don’t want to hear it in the context of that show.

I_ 2y ago

The long arc of entropy. Easier to not spill the glass than to clear it up, but fascinating to learn how in any case.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
MattGaiser 2y ago
It is when you could leave someone else to clean it up, which is what happened here.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

ge96 2y ago

Hmm robot bird(s) time perhaps edit: (to lead the migration)

metalman 2y ago
Great idea! Lots of possibility! Vid, below is of a newer flapping wing "hawk" robot bird https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TXg-qoRN0co https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TXg-qoRN0co
- ge96 2y ago
  yeah longevity is a problem, ornithopters are pretty impressive but the flapping mechanism is brutal (high rpm motor with high gearing) and the noise not sure if the wings were covered in panels and it landed/spread its wings on the ground how long to charge but yeah there was a hopping bird recently too so being able to take off again would be good
stevenwoo 2y ago
Two of the glider pilots raise the chicks for months at a time. So when we have something that can not only fly but hand raise chicks to full grown and also nurture that bond while on stops on the journey to teach the ibis the path.
- ge96 2y ago
  Yeah that bond/recognition could be something (hard to do with a robot)
  - stevenwoo 2y ago
    It might be possible, they do minimize human contact with other some other animals we are trying to raise in captivity or only have the same humans wearing a fur/feather suit/puppet to lower the animals' acclimation to other humans, so the animals stay wilder, and in this instance got the loons to associate a shade of yellow with their handlers/gliders, but definitely a hurdle to get over.

whalesalad 2y ago

One of my favorite movies as a kid was Fly Away Home which is really a similar story - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_Away_Home https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_Away_Home TIL it is based on a true story. Going to have to re-watch this soon.

mitchbob 2y ago
The article mentions that the film was the inspiration for the leader of this project.

trhway 2y ago

The Supreme Leader of Russian Cranes https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2012/sep/06/vladimir-putin-siberian-cranes-deltaplane-video https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2012/sep/06/vladimir...

dang 2y ago

I found one past thread, but I vaguely remember others—anyone? Bird came back from extinction – scientists in glider are teaching it to migrate - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41385300 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41385300 - Aug 2024 (1 comment)

NaOH 2y ago
How a determined scientist taught an ancient species to migrate again (2013) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8307442 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8307442 - Sept 2014 (1 comment)