Adults: General plumage is white, except for black tips of primary and plumed outer secondary feathers. Spiny white plumes on breast. Head and neck, naked and black with pink bands on nape. Naked scarlet stripe on underwing and on each side of breast. Eye, dark brown. Bill, black and caruncled. Legs, pink. Feet, purple-green.
Immatures: Similar to adults but head and neck feathered spotty black and white. No breast plumes.
Downy Young: White, with black cown and neck. Bill, pink-flesh. Feet, pink-flesh.
Other Names (World)
Australian Ibis, Australian White Ibis, Sacred Ibis, White Ibis, Black-headed Ibis, Black-necked Ibis
Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) [XC593568]
by nick talbot from Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (call)
Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) [XC313350]
by Greg McLachlan from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (call)
Nest
Platform made of sticks, reeds or by bending down aquatic herbage, generally in secluded areas. Usually in colonies, some large.
Eggs (Guide)
2 - 5; dull white; oval, tapered; about 66 x 45 mm. Incubation: 20 -25 days; by both sexes.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 4 weeks.
Subspecies
Forms superspecies with African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) and Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) and sometimes considered a subspecies of African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus). Population of Australia and southern New Guinea has been separated in subspecies strictipennis, but recent studies show it to be identical to birds from Moluccas, and indicate that the two should be synonymized. Validity of subspecies pygmaeus questioned, but recent examination of specimens shows much smaller size than that to be expected from clinal variation.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
molucca (Cuvier, 1829) - Australia through New Guinea to southern Moluccas and eastern Lesser Sundas.
pygmaeus Mayr, 1931 - Rennell I and Bellona I (Solomon Is).
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet