Threskiornis spinicollis
The Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) is a strikingly patterned, large wading bird native to Australia and parts of New Guinea, easily recognized by its distinctive stiff, straw-like yellow feathers on the back of its neck, which give the species its common name. Measuring approximately 60-75 cm in length with a wingspan of 100-120 cm, adults display glossy black upperparts contrasting sharply with a white belly, a black head, and a prominent, decurved black bill. The black back of...
Found primarily in freshwater wetlands, swamps, irrigated pastures, and open grasslands, often adapting to agricultural and urban environments at low to moderate elevations.
Feeds predominantly on terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, especially locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, and other insect larvae, supplemented by small crustaceans, frogs, and occasionally fish, primarily by probing with its long bill.
Straw-necked Ibises are highly gregarious and diurnal, foraging and roosting in large flocks, often numbering in the thousands and sometimes mixing with Australian White Ibises. Their foraging strategy involves probing damp soil, shallow water, or grassy fields with their long, decurved bills, sy...
The Straw-necked Ibis is widely distributed across mainland Australia, inhabiting most areas except for the most arid central deserts. Its primary breeding range extends across eastern and northern Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and parts of the Northern Territory and...
Least Concern
- The distinctive 'straw-like' feathers on its neck are actually modified quills, stiff and pale yellow, giving the bird its unique name. - Often nicknamed the 'farmer's friend' in Australia due to its voracious appetite for agricultural pests like locusts and grasshoppers. - They are highly noma...