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Pest or Guest: The Zoology of Overabundance
Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
ISBN electronic:
978-0-9803272-1-2
Publication date:
2007
Chapter Contents
Book Chapter
Relative abundance of Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molluca across the Greater Brisbane region
By
Stephanie Meyer-Gleaves
;
Stephanie Meyer-Gleaves
Suburban Wildlife Research Group, Australian School of Environmental Studies, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld. 4111, Australia
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Darryl N. Jones
Darryl N. Jones
Suburban Wildlife Research Group, Australian School of Environmental Studies, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld. 4111, Australia
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Published:2007
Citation
Stephanie Meyer-Gleaves, Darryl N. Jones, 2007. "Relative abundance of Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molluca across the Greater Brisbane region", Pest or Guest: The Zoology of Overabundance, Daniel Lunney, Peggy Eby, Pat Hutchings, Shelley Burgin
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The Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca is an unexpected addition to the small number of native birds that have recently moved into urban and suburban areas. The arrival of the species in the Central Business District of Brisbane in South East Queensland has been accompanied by an increase in associated human-wildlife conflicts. In order to provide essential ecological information of the species in this region, a series of studies have been undertaken. The present study attempts to determine the distribution of the Australian White Ibis with respect to six major habitat categories positioned along an ‘urban gradient’ from the urban centre, through suburban, exurban/rural and industrial areas, to wildland and coastal areas. Foraging ibis were surveyed during vehicle-based transects covering all parts of a 545 km2 study area. All ibis detected were assigned to one of 218 1.25 km2 cells, which covered the entire study area. Ibis were detected throughout the area, though they occurred in highest numbers within urban and coastal areas. Ibis were found in 100% of urban cells, 20-55% of suburban, rural/exurban and industrial cells and were absent from all wildland cells. A large number and diversity of foraging substrates were used by White Ibis, with suburban areas providing the largest number.
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