Ibii or ibises?

@JudyEv (382104)
Rockingham, Australia
August 9, 2025 6:13pm CST
A rather unusual competition is being held by ABC Science, ABC standing for Australian Broadcasting Corporation. They’ve released a list of Australia’s ten most underrated animals and are asking the community to vote on their favourites. While the Australian white ibis (Threskiornis Molucca) doesn’t make the cut, there was an interesting article on it. It’s known as the ‘bin chicken’ here as it has adapted to living among humans, often frequenting rubbish tips and landfill and scavenging for food. They have a bald head and apparently a distinctive aroma although I’ve never been close enough to smell one. The ibis is either loved or hated here. Since hundreds of the birds in south-east Queensland have been tagged with a numbered label, people have taken to recognising a particular bird as frequenting an area. Our friend would always call more than one ibis 'ibii' which I thought was cute. The photo shows ibii/ibises in our paddock in Donnybrook but they aren't the white variety.
16 people like this
13 responses
@jstory07 (148734)
• Roseburg, Oregon
10 Aug
Look at those birds having a good time. We have lots of blackbirds here. All over the place.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Aug
They would come in regularly. I guess they were feeding on insects and perhaps grubs.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (502491)
• Italy
10 Aug
Ibii is not correct, ibisis is the correct plural, but also only ibis.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (502491)
• Italy
10 Aug
@JudyEv I wonder in which language that could be good.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug
@LadyDuck There are some words where the plural takes an 'i' rather than an 's' but I can't think of them at the moment. Yes, I can. Radius becomes radii.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Aug
I didn't think ibii was correct but I do like it.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169479)
• United States
10 Aug
I think it is a plural like fish and deer, the same whether singular or plural. So a flock of Ibis are ibis. Fun to think of them as bin chickens.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug
I just like saying ibii.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (208952)
• United States
10 Aug
Speaking of birds I forgot to bring Nico the big bird feather I found down at the lake. Darn it.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug
Are you going back tomorrow? Maybe it would still be there.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98033)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
10 Aug
I love the look of ibises. Such interesting birds.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug
Did you ever walk around with a ruler in your mouth then bang into something and hurt your mouth? Ibis always remind me of that but of course they've had their long beaks ever since they were hatched so they're used to the length.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98033)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
11 Aug
@JudyEv I do believe they know how to live with those beaks, A long time ago when my late husband went to Sydney he sat in a park watching pigeons and ibis who lived in a tree there, When an ibis came up to him and pecked at his shoe to make him aware it wanted food,
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Aug
@RasmaSandra The Highland cows with their very long horns also are aware of how far their horns spread. That's funny that the ibis pecked at his shoe.
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (13048)
• United States
10 Aug
The bald heads always get me. I wonder what the aroma is. Maybe landfill?
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (13048)
• United States
12 Aug
@JudyEv That would make sense.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Aug
I guess the smell is from eating carrion but I don't know that.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86713)
• United States
10 Aug
“Distinctive aroma”…as in, like that of a skunk? Most times someone saying an animal has an “aroma” is not a compliment. We have species of them in America. And I like “Ibii” instead of “ibises,” too.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Aug
I don't know what a skunk smells like but by all accounts it's pretty bad.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (69177)
• Centralia, Washington
10 Aug
They're big and remind me of a heron. I like that, "bin chicken,"
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Aug
They have really taken to eating at rubbish tips, etc.
1 person likes this
12 Aug
the birds look awesome
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@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Aug
We liked seeing them in our paddocks.
@LindaOHio (222417)
• United States
10 Aug
I believe the bald head is because they eat carrion. Is that right?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Aug
I'm not sure but they say vultures have bald heads because they poke their heads into all sorts of places that are pretty gross.
1 person likes this
@Mshafeeq (2746)
• Kuwait, Kuwait
10 Aug
Nice Pic. Birds are enjoying their food
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Aug
They would often feed in the paddocks.
1 person likes this
@Dreamerby (10111)
• Calcutta, India
10 Aug
So what's the correct version ibii or ibises?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug
It's ibis or ibisies but I just like saying ibii.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (15372)
• Hong Kong
10 Aug
Nice pic. Those birds look quite big.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Aug
Yes, they are quite big and have quite long legs too.
1 person likes this