Yes, ibis can be a problem in parks etc, but a few words of praise for
them in the country. In the Macalister Irrigation District here in
Gippsland, ibis, both white and straw-necked are in their thousands, and
are the farmer's friends, consuming huge quantities of cockchafer grubs
in irrigated pastures, thereby eliminating the need for chemical
control. Straw-necked Ibis also do a good job in dry country, feeding on
grasshoppers/locusts.
Both species breed in large colonies at Dowd's Morass, but things are
not looking good for them there as the paperbarks where they nest are
dying out due to the increased salinity of the Gippsland Lakes and
associated wetlands. I'd hate to see them leave the paddocks and be
replaced by spray booms pumping out chemicals. DF.
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