All three crested baby ibises were born to one of the three mating pairs released to the wild have left the nest on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, said the Environment Ministry on Sunday.

The third leaving came only two days after one of the chicks became the first to do so in 38 years in Japan, according to local news.

The three chicks were born to a three-year-old father and a two- year-old mother released in March last year. The babies were all born in late April.

The Environment Ministry has been monitoring the nest using a live video feed since May 5. It is confirmed early Sunday morning that all of the three ibis chicks had left the nest.

A total of five more chicks were born later to the other two mating pairs on Sado Island. The five are expected to leave their nests later by late June.

Japan has been trying to reintroduce the endangered species to the wild since 2008, following successful artificial breeding with a pair of the birds presented by China in 1999. A total of 78 ibises have so far been released from the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center, according to local media reports.

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