Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Herons, Pelicans & Ibises

Straw-necked Ibis

Threskiornis spinicollis

Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Indonesia Birds of New Zealand Birds of Australian Capital Territory Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia Birds of Tasmania Birds of Victoria

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The Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) is a member of the Threskiornithidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 1.3 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Pelecaniformes
Family Threskiornithidae Ibises, Spoonbills
Genus Threskiornis
Species spinicollis

Where it lives

Trans-Fly (south-central New Guinea), near Port Moresby (southeastern New Guinea), Australia and Tasmania

Australia & Oceania

Quick facts

Weight: 1.3 kg
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Threskiornithidae
Order: Pelecaniformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Endangered

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Straw-necked Ibis is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Straw-necked Ibis is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) is a member of the Threskiornithidae family, within the order Pelecaniformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Trans-Fly (sc New Guinea), near Port Moresby (se New Guinea), Australia and Tasmania.

It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.3 kg, with a wing length of about 36.4 cm and a tail of around 15.1 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 6.4 million km².

Songs & calls

Straw-necked Ibis — Call

Recorded by Marc Anderson Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Straw-necked Ibis?

The Straw-necked Ibis is a very large bird that weighs around 1.3 kg.

Where does the Straw-necked Ibis live?

The Straw-necked Ibis is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Trans-Fly (sc New Guinea), near Port Moresby (se New Guinea), Australia and Tasmania, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Straw-necked Ibis belong to?

The Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) belongs to the Threskiornithidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.

What does the Straw-necked Ibis eat?

The Straw-necked Ibis is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Straw-necked Ibis migrate?

The Straw-necked Ibis is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Straw-necked Ibis endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Straw-necked Ibis make?

1 real field recording of the Straw-necked Ibis — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Straw-necked Ibis's range?

The Straw-necked Ibis has a mapped global range of about 6.4 million km².