Abstract:
The Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca is very successful in adapting to and surviving in urban
environments. Overabundant and/or large, permanent populations have established in many urban areas of coastal
eastern Australia. In urban areas, the Australian White Ibis is currently regarded as a major pest and many
agencies aim to reduce its numbers, however, the lack of knowledge on this species has made management
difficult. In this study clutch size and fledgling success of Australian White Ibis breeding in Centennial Park, a
large urban park in Sydney, were measured. Mean clutch size was 2.70, with a modal clutch size of three. Mean
number of fledglings per successful (nestlings hatched) nest was 2.64. While clutch sizes were similar to those
reported for ibis in natural and non-urban environments, fledgling success was considerably higher in Centennial
Park. This is most likely due to high food availability in urban areas. Management of artificial food sources (e.g.
landfills) might be necessary for successfully managing ibis in urban environments.
