Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) in Sydney

Sydney FaunaAustralian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) in Sydney Common Halfband (Melangyna viridiceps)

The Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) has become an easily recognisable bird in urban settings, with some unfortunate common names such as bin chicken, dump chook and tip turkey, due to their propensity for rummaging through bins and other human garbage.

In some older texts, the Australian White Ibis are referred to as “Sacred Ibis”. This was because, the Australian White Ibis and the Sacred Ibis of Africa were once thought to a single species. Now, the Australian White Ibis has been identified as a separate species.

Found across much of Australia, they are a wading bird, from the family Threskiornithidae, with a predominantly white plumage, a bare black head, long downcurved bill and grey to blackish legs.

Check out our pages on the

• Australian White Ibis at Sydney Hyde Park
• Australian White Ibis at the Ponds, Alice Springs
• Fauna > Birds | Ibises | Australian White Ibis

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• Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Subphylum: Vertebrata
• Informal: Gnathostomata
• Class: Aves
• Order: Ciconiiformes
• Family: Threskiornithidae
• Subfamily: Threskiornithinae
• Genus: Threskiornis
• Species: Threskiornis moluccus

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Sydney FaunaAustralian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) in Sydney Common Halfband (Melangyna viridiceps)

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