Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis - 68cm)
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Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca- 72cm)
There are 33 species of Ibis throughout the world, and these large Australian natives are often found together. The White Ibis may be the most easily recognised, but the Straw-necked Ibis is the most common and widespread in Australia.
Both species have a similar diet of aquatic insects, shellfish and frogs, and on land they eat reptiles, grasshoppers, crickets and locusts. They also have a very formal and well-mannered habit of bowing to one another during courtship. After mating, the male delivers sticks to the female, which she uses to build the nest. They tend the eggs in shifts, and bow at changeover time, and the Straw-necked Ibis also bow to their chicks before feeding them. (The White Ibis has a lifespan of approx 28 years, and the Straw-necked Ibis, up to 40 years.)
Ibis may not be the prettiest of birds, but they are unusual-looking, with their long curved beaks. I’ve noticed at least sixty of each at the sewage treatment works recently.