Straw-necked Ibises.
Photo: Hyem Collection © Australian Museum
Distribution map of Threskiornis spinicollis
Map © Birds Australia Birdata
Straw-necked Ibis
Scientific name: Threskiornis spinicollis
Family: Threskiornithidae
Order: Ciconiiformes
- Featured Bird Groups
- Water birds
What does it look like?
Description
The Straw-necked Ibis is a large waterbird with a naked black head, long downcurved black bill and yellow throat plumes. It has a glossy blue-black back, with metallic purple, green and bronze sheen, a white nape and sides of neck and white underparts. Its preference for grassland insects such as grasshoppers and locusts have earnt it the name of Farmer's Friend.
Similar species
The strawlike neck feathers distinguish the Straw-necked Ibis from other ibises. When flying, it has a white body and black wings, while the Australian White Ibis has a black head with white body and wings.
Where does it live?
Distribution
The Straw-necked Ibis is found across mainland Australia. It is vagrant to Tasmania and is also found in Indonesia, New Guinea, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.
Habitat
The Straw-necked Ibis prefers wet and dry grasslands, pastures, croplands and swamp or lagoon margins. It is rarely found on coastal shores, mudflats or mangroves and is generally less adaptable than the Australian White Ibis.
Seasonal movements
Highly nomadic, moving in search of suitable habitat.
What does it do?
Feeding
The Straw-necked Ibis feeds mainly on terrestrial invertebrates, especially grasshoppers and locusts. It will also take frogs, small reptiles and mammals. It forages by probing or takes prey from the surface of water bodies. It is rarely an opportunistic scavenger, unlike the Australian White Ibis.
Breeding
The Straw-necked Ibis forms large breeding colonies, often with Australian White Ibises. The low nests are large trampled platforms of reeds, rushes and sticks over water, often blending together to form one continuous platform, and are re-used over many years. Both sexes build nests, incubate eggs and feed the young.
Living with us
Living with humans
The Straw-necked Ibis may have benefited from increased irrigation in dry areas, however destruction of valuable freshwater breeding habitat and increased salinity may be negative impacts. It is valued as a feeder on insect pests, although it can do little to control locust plagues.
References
Marchant, S. and Higgins, P.J. (eds) 1993. Handbook of Australian New Zealand And Antartic Birds Vol. 2: (Raptors To Lapwings). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
Pringle, J.D. 1985. The Waterbirds of Australia. Angus and Robertson/National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife, Sydney.
Morcombe, M. 2000. Field guide to Australian Birds. Steve Parish Publishing.
Simpson, K and Day, N. 1999. Field guide to the birds of Australia, 6th Edition. Penguin Books, Australia.