On 3 October at 3pm there were about 200. They were spread across 4/5 dead trees and the below is one tree with (counting by the dot method with a violet dot beside each bird) 77 individuals. It would have been easy to photograph each trees and get an accurate count.
From: Robin Hide [
Sent: Monday, 14 October 2013 8:48 AM
To:
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Straw-necked ibis
On 6 October, midday, at the Big Dam at Mulligans Flat, there was a flock of rather more than 50 Straw-necked ibis on the ground in the paddock below the dam, and another 30 or so on inundated trees in the dam. This seemed a considerably larger number than the recent flock sizes reported there on Eremaea (21 Sept. 15+ birds; 27 Aug. 24 birds; 3 Aug.30ish birds), and Phil Malins’ 46 on this list on 25 Aug.
Robin Hide
No breeding records in the ACT for Straw-necked Ibis according to the COG database.
Steve
Straw-necked ibis are still roosting overnight on Callum Brae, zoo corner. Yesterday morning there would have been about 30 birds. They left the roost about 0806 ESDT (i.e. an hour and a half after sunrise) and fed on the ground below their trees for about 20 minutes before taking off as a single flock in the direction of the Jerrabomberra wetlands. I think the fellow in the photo might be a juvenile, poorly developed straws and not much iridescence on the shoulder feathers.
Are there any breeding records for these birds in the ACT?
Margaret Leggoe
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