re: #29 plansbandc

Ha! Hadn’t realized that the Ibis was considered a pest in Australia. It’s amazing what I learn here on LGF!

There are four main ways in which Australian White Ibises are considered to be pests:

1. When they forage in flocks in the vicinity of air fields, ibises pose a theat to aeroplanes, as their large size means that they are able to break windshields, or damage engines.
2. Ibises roost communally and a moderate-sized colony produces a lot of droppings. If they roost in a public area of a city, such as Darling Harbour in Sydney, their droppings can make the area unusable, and might be a problem for human health (though this has not been demonstrated).
3. Ibises that become accustomed to people sometimes feed in garbage bins and steal food from picnic areas. While they are quite harmless, some people find their large size, and particularly their beak, intimidating.
4. Ibis droppings can modify the environment so that it can no longer sustain particular plants. This means they can be a problem in botanical gardens and some reserves. For example, in Fairfield Local Government Area, Sydney, Australian White Ibises may be destroying the roosting habitat for a threatened population of the Grey-headed Flying Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus ).

Birds Behaving Badly - Australian White Ibis
birdsinbackyards.net