Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis molucca
Also known as: Australian Ibis, White Ibis, Australian Bin Chicken, Bin Chicken
About This Species
A familiar sight around wetlands, parks and urban green spaces, probing soft mud and lawns with its long down-curved bill for invertebrates and often scavenging near people. It roosts and breeds colonially in trees near water, and large numbers can be seen year-round in coastal and inland cities across its range. Look for it foraging in groups at dawn and dusk when insect and worm activity is highest.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A distance of 5 to 10 metres is generally sufficient given how habituated this species is to people, but nesting colonies should be given a much wider berth since disturbance can cause chicks to fall or be abandoned.
- Protection status and management approaches vary considerably across its range, from full protection to active population control in some urban areas, so check local rules before assuming a blanket rule applies.
- Avoid feeding it, which increases conflict with people and concentrates disease risk in colonies.
LCAvesPelecaniformesThreskiornithidae
Seasonal Activity
884,303 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Threskiornithidae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.