Having just returned from Townsville I know it is a long way away and I certainly couldn’t imagine getting there on my own steam. That’s why I was surprised to see a note from the Australian Museum that some of the White Ibis researchers have colour banded in Sydney have turned up in far north Queensland cities.
The note was also proof that every creature -  even those apparently charmless ones like an Ibis neck-deep in trash – is loved by someone. This Sunday all Australians are being asked to keep an eye out for Ibis and report any sightings of the shameless thieves to the Australian Museum’s John Martin – john.martin@austmus.gov.au.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Wildlife Management Officer, Geoff Ross, said:
“Ibis first started breeding in Sydney during a severe drought in the late 1970s. They’ve adapted well to our cityscape and artificial wetlands and are now a common sight in our parklands. This is in contrast to their usual haunts in western NSW where they are now seldom
seen.”
“This increase of ibis numbers in the city has led to the species being seen as a pest by many city dwellers so new population information is needed to better understand their lifestyle and manage their needs – without compromising the needs of those living alongside urban ibis
colonies.”
Since the surveys began, more than 2000 ibis have been colour-banded and wing-tagged to get an idea of where they go when they leave the Sydney area, using different colours for each of the major breeding areas such as
Centennial Park, Bankstown, Wollongong and Campbelltown, said Mr Ross.
“So far, our colour-branded chicks have been found as far afield as Townsville – 2500km away!”
Australian Museum Scientific Officer John Martin said “we have radio-tracked ibis travelling up to 35km to forage across the Sydney region on a daily basis and observed
birds banded in Sydney in both Wollongong and Gosford. This means we need to assess and understand the species on a regional level, not as isolated, discrete populations”.
“While many people are quick to criticise and condemn the species which is commonly seen as a dirty, noisy scavenger, it is important for us to look at why they have been forced to seek shelter in our cities and what this means for them – and us – in the long-term.”
“With a lack of feeding and breeding habitat in the drought-affected inland wetlands, there is a very real fear the longevity of the species relies on urban breeding which means ibis could well be in Australian cities to stay.”