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Straw-Necked Ibis

Threskiornis spinicollis

An Australian ibis with straw-like neck feathers and a shiny back, nicknamed the "farmer's friend" for eating grasshoppers.

🪿 Wading Birds
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About the Straw-Necked Ibis

Straw-necked ibises are 23 to 30 inches long. They have a bare black head, a long down-curved black bill, a glossy blue-black back with purple, green and bronze shine, and white underparts. They live in wet and dry grasslands, pastures, farm fields and swamp edges across mainland Australia, and also in New Guinea and Indonesia.[1][2]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Threskiornis spinicollis[1]
Size
23 to 30 inches long.[2]
Lifespan
Up to 15 years.[2]
Diet
Mostly grasshoppers, locusts and other insects, plus frogs, small reptiles and mammals.[1]
Habitat
Grasslands, pastures, croplands and swamp edges.[1]
Where it lives
Mainland Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia.[1]
Group life
Nomadic; moves in search of good habitat.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[3]

Fun facts

  • It's nicknamed the "farmer's friend."[1]
  • Its neck feathers look like stiff straw.[2]
  • Males have longer bills than females.[2]

Vocabulary

ibis
A wading bird with a long, down-curved bill.
nomadic
Moving from place to place instead of living in one spot.
locust
A kind of grasshopper that sometimes travels in huge swarms.
pasture
Grassland where farm animals graze.
least concern
A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Birds in Backyards (BirdLife Australia). “Straw-necked Ibis.” https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Threskiornis-spinicollis (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] Sedgwick County Zoo. “Straw-necked ibis.” https://scz.org/animal/straw-necked-ibis (accessed 2026-10-02)
  3. [3] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Threskiornis spinicollis (Straw-necked Ibis).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697525/129656213 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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