The ballad of the Ibis: The Sydney Bin Chicken.

Arriving in Sydney, I came across a strange sight.

A vision in black and white.

The Australian White Ibis.

Or a bin chicken, as they call them over here, a nickname earned by their love of digging through the trash.

Ibis are kind of a big deal here. Just in case you weren't aware of this cultural icon. They are printed on t-shirts, (my favourite being a T-shirt with, been bin chicken you out), featured in many a meme, and are the butt of many local jokes.

They even came runner up for Australia bird of the year in 2017, narrowly losing out to another black and white feathered competitor, the magpie.

To fit in with the Sydney crowd, here is a little more information about this feathered celebrity.

Facts and Stuff.

Appearance: They are relatively large bird, and have long thin legs. Their feathers are white and black, and they have a bald featherless head. When you see one stretch out their wings, you will also notice that they have featherless parts under their wings. And perhaps their most identifiable feature is their long curved beak.

Call: Ibises are scarily quiet. You will most likely not know one is behind you until you nearly step on him or her. They do not squawk, caw, or tweet with their fellow birds Rather their call is seldom heard, and when they do speak it is a long croak, which can sometimes be heard when they are flying above.

They can reach twenty-eight years of age.

Diet: They have a varied diet. They eat invertebrates, such as mussels and crayfish. But in the city, their diet largely consists of human scraps.

How to live harmoniously: Picnic goers of Sydney, I want you to have some kindness when thinking about Ibises. When they come close to you while you are eating your lunch, they don’t do it to be annoying. They are simply hungry. They are not disgusting, they are beautiful birds that I feel deserves a little respect.

This is their home, just as much as yours.

Sit on a park bench, or use a table if you don’t want an Ibis over your shoulder.

How to stalk Ibis, or find them in their natural habit:

There are over 9000 Ibises in the Sydney region. A walk through a park or a populated area will then likely come across one, or two, or fifty. Check out Darling Harbour, or Hyde Park for a definite Ibis sighting.