Sydney FaunaAustralian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) 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.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
- Informal: Gnathostomata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Ciconiiformes
- Family: Threskiornithidae
- Subfamily: Threskiornithinae
- Genus: Threskiornis
- Species: Threskiornis moluccus
Footnote & References
- Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/3740-Threskiornis-molucca
- Australian White Ibis, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/australian-white-ibis/
Sydney FaunaAustralian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) Common Halfband (Melangyna viridiceps)
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