Black Headed White Ibis

Ibis are especially bold in spring as they forage for food to feed their hungry chicks. They're an imposing sight, a black and white bird standing almost three-quarters of a meter tall with a bald black head, long purplish legs and distinctive, down-curved beak.

In recent years, white ibis have become a common sight in the cities of east coast Australia, especially Wollongong, Sydney, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Townsville.

Needing to be near water to breed, these ibis have taken over ponds and creeks in parks and established nesting colonies in palm trees near waterways. Here they can make themselves very unpopular, messing up the water and grass with their faeces, tipping over rubbish bins and cadging food from picnickers.

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