This summer, I've seen strings of straw-necked ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) flying over the freeway but hadn't managed to spot them on the ground until very recently. They tend to be more nomadic than white ibis (T. molucca) and much less likely to be hanging around tips and city parks waiting for hand outs. I spotted this small group in a paddock near Point Cook. Unfortunately, I couldn't get close enough for a good photo. Each time I took a step towards them, they grunted at me and moved back. They're rather striking birds with iridescent feathers on the back and wings and. at the base of the neck, a sheaf of buff-coloured plumes that look like ... well ... straw.
These ibis are widespread on the mainland (except for the central deserts) and are occasional visitors to Tasmania but do not breed there. They are also recorded from New Guinea but are apparently not resident.
