Threskiornis molucca
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Australian white ibis (Threskiornis molucca), commonly known as the bin chicken, is a wading bird of the family Threskiornithidae. It is widespread across much of Australia. It has a predominantly white plumage with a bare, black head, long downcurved bill, and black legs. While it is closely related to the African sacred ibis, the Australian white ibis is a native Australian bird. Contrary to urban myth, it is not a feral species introduced to Australia by people, and it does not come from Egypt.
Historically rare in urban areas, the Australian white ibis has established in urban areas of the east coast in increasing numbers since the late 1970s; it is now commonly seen in Wollongong, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Townsville. In recent years, the bird has also become increasingly common in Perth, Western Australia, and surrounding towns in south-western Australia. Populations have disappeared from natural breeding areas such as the Macquarie Marshes in northern New South Wales. Management plans have been introduced to control problematic urban populations in Sydney.
Due to their commonality in urban areas, and their habit of rummaging in outside garbage, the species has acquired a variety of names, including "tip turkey" and "bin chicken". Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Australian White Ibis sighting in Booderee National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 98th most-seen of the 128 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian White Ibis in Booderee National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to July, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian White Ibis sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Australian White Ibis sightings, Booderee National Park ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 40%), Daintree National Park (Australia, about 40%) and Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, about 20%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian White Ibis is recorded against all the birds logged in Booderee National Park (13 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
