Urban-resident Australian humans who were born after 1970 may find it very hard to believe, but this post’s headline is accurate.
Relatively speaking, Threskiornis molucca – the Australian white ibis – is a newcomer to urban life.
However, the so-called “bin chicken” was already resident on the Australian continent long before Homo sapiens arrived – let alone post-1788 humans and rubbish bins.
It is absolutely not a “feral” bird.
Contrary to what many Australians believe, it and the so-called “Sacred” or “Egyptian” ibis are entirely different species; the latter has never called Australia home.
Still, the roof of a “Federation Era” house in any Australian city – such as the Subiaco one, above – almost certainly never felt the pitter-patter of Threskiornis molucca‘s not-so-tiny feet until the final quarter of the 20th century, or the first quarter of the 21st.
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