The Australian Bin Chicken Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Australian white ibis

The Australian white ibis (Threskiornis molucca/moluccus) is native and endemic to Australia and is one of only three ibis species found in Australia. The other two species are the closely related straw-necked ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) and the distantly related glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus). The Australian white Ibis is most closely related to the African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) which is only found in sub-Saharan Africa.

For centuries, ibises, especially the Australian white ibis. have been sacred to Indigenous communities.

Overall, there are 29 extant species of Ibis and four extinct species, most with their own geographical habitat with little overlap with other species.

Answer: Crest on the head similar to a cockatoo

All ibises, being waterbirds, have long spindly legs with partially webbed feet, a long slender neck and a downward curved bill.

The Australian white ibis is distinguished from other ibises by its white body plumage but with a black head and neck. The head is featherless and its black bill is long and with a steep down-curve. There is a small patch of skin on the underneath surface of the wing which is a muted pink, which changes to deep scarlet during breeding season. Females differ from males by being slightly smaller and have shorter bills. Young birds have their necks covered with black feathers which disappear as they mature.

The native Australian bird is protected under state wildlife legislation in nearly every state.

Pictured is the sulphur-crested cockatoo, another iconic Australian bird that has a distinctive yellow crest on its head.

Answer: It has learned to adapt to urban environments to forage for food close to human habitation

Ibises are widespread across northern, eastern and south-western Australia. The Australian white ibis can also be found in small numbers in nearby Papua New Guinea and southern Indonesia. They were unknown in Western Australia before1950 but are plentiful in WA urban areas in the 21st century

Historically, large ibis groups, being social animals, were found in large inland wetlands. They were proficient at migrating to the wetlands with the most abundant food, such as wetlands that were in flood. However, human intervention in agricultural and water development has led to droughts that have forced the Australian white Ibis into urban areas where they appear fearless to nearby humans and the abundance of cats.

These new urban habitats have more predictable food and water sources so, while they are prevalent in cities, their number in their natural wetland habitat has declined markedly.

Its habit of rummaging in garbage has made it an excellent forager and the species has acquired a variety of colloquial names such as "tip turkey" and "bin chicken". The bird is found in copious numbers at landfills.

Answer: True

The bin chicken has become an icon of Australia's popular culture, polarising Australians as it is regarded with delight by some and revulsion by others. Because of its propensity to be attracted to urban areas, it is arguably the most recognised bird in Australia. However, its inability to keep its white plumage clean and its foraging habits have caused some people to despise the bird.

It is not known if the Minister's remarks were tongue-in-cheek or not. However the remark caused a furore of media activity with some people barracking for the the bird to indeed be the mascot whereas there was another group of people who were equally opposed to the idea.

Answer: Invertebrates, including freshwater crayfish molluscs and insects such as crickets

The Australian white ibis' range of food is typical of all ibises and includes both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and insects. Human scraps are an adaptive component of its diet. Its favourite foods are crayfish and mussels, which the bird obtains by digging in riverbeds with its long bill and long neck an advantage in finding such food. Mussels are opened by bashing them on a hard surface to reach the soft body inside.

However, in urban environments, it is omnivorous, foraging and eating almost anything edible.

Note: the photo depicts a white ibis, (feeding in its natural environment in Louisiana, USA), not an Australian white ibis.

Answer: Yes, it is an elegant and capable long distance flier

The Australian white ibis has a wide wingspan being over half as long again as its body length. They are graceful fliers and are capable of flying long distances. One Ibis, tagged in Southern Victoria in the 1960s, was discovered on the Papua New Guinea mainland, a distance of over 4500 km (2800 miles) as the crow (or ibis) flies.

In flight, flocks of Australian white ibis form distinctive V-shaped flight patterns with extended necks, like geese. This decreases air resistance. When the leading bird tires, he/she moves toward the edge and another bird takes the lead.

Answer: True

The male Australian white Ibis identifies a large branch of a tall tree in the first part of the breeding ritual to attract a female. The courtship ceremony then involves much clamour and noise from the male which is meant to scare off other males and attract the females. Displays of plumage and dancing may be involved. When a female is attracted to the male she flies onto the branch, and the male acknowledges her by bowing. He then offers the female a twig (engagement ring equivalent?), creating a bond when she grasps it. They then preen each other. Once the pair bond is established, the birds fly off to build a nest in another tree. Australian white ibises nest in large colonies as they are social animals, and may also nest with the straw-necked Ibis, T. spinicollis.

Australian white ibises lay two to five eggs during nesting season, similar to other Ibises. The eggs take about 22 days to incubate. The young are born without feathers and helpless. They fledge in approximately four to five weeks. Both males and females guard the nest until the chicks can fend for themselves. Both parents help feed the chicks. Sexual maturity occurs in approximately four to five years. One or two broods may be raised in a year.

Answer: It is a consummate forager

The straw-necked ibis is differentiated from its Australian cousin, the Australian white ibis, by the white straw-coloured feathers around its neck compared to the naked black colour of the other's. It is slightly smaller than the Australian white Ibis but its wingspan is similar. It has similar breeding and rearing behaviour to its cousin and its natural habitat is the same: Wetlands of Australian coastal areas especially the east coast with vagrants found on New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. They are occasionally sighted across the Bass Strait in Tasmania.

However, they have not adapted to the urban environment and do not forage. These birds are no bin chickens!

Answer: Its distribution

The glossy ibis is not native to Australia. It has a worldwide distribution in warm locations. It is a highly migratory bird. It is believed to have originated in the Old World and spread naturally from Africa to South America in the 1800s, from where it spread to North America where it was first spotted in New Jersey in 1817. It is unknown how it arrived in Australia but it was probably from the Asian mainland via Indonesia.

This species is similar in breeding and feeding habits to the other two Australian species: It is a little smaller and has distinctive reddish-brown plumage with glossy bottle-green wings. Non-breeding adults and juveniles have duller browner bodies but with brighter blue-grey to cobalt blue facial markings.

Answer: The Llanos grasslands of Venezuela (especially when flooded)

Most ibises are freshwater wetland birds found in marshes, ponds, lakes, and river banks for foraging. Two ibis species such as the White-faced Ibis and Black-headed Ibis prefer flooded and irrigated agriculture and will migrate long distances to find this type of environment.
Unusually, the Andean ibis is found in high-altitude grasslands of South America where there is a paucity of wetlands.

Two ibis species such as the olive ibis and green ibis are also found in dense forests in warmer parts of the world.

The Llanos grasslands in Venezuela have the highest global diversity of ibis with seven species found among the marshes and grasslands.