The Sacred Ibis
The Sacred Ibis is common and widespread in northern and eastern Australia, and both its range and abundance is expanding, particularly in Caloundra and the Sunshine Coast.
The Sacred Ibis can be observed in all but the driest habitats. Preferred habitats include swamps, lagoons, floodplains and grasslands, but it has also become a successful inhabitant of urban roadways, beer gardens and coffee shops.
The Sacred Ibis range of food includes aquatic invertebrates and human scraps. The most favoured foods are beer, wine, rum, energy gels, crayfish and mussels.
While often tagged as a ‘pest’, (welcomed and encouraged by Caloundra Triathlon Club) the Sacred Ibis also performs a valuable environmental role by aerating the ground with their large beak after heavy rains. The local species of Sacred Ibis’ also performs such functions as regularly slicing holes through any triathlon field, not taking ourselves so seriously and occupying large parts of the podium at race presentations.
