‘Bin Chickens’, ‘Picnic Pirates’, ‘Road Kill’ – the ibis colonies roosting on Logan roads may soon be removed following recent acts by the state government.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey recently announced the successful removal of an ibis colony near the Yatala exit of the M1.
“The latest monitoring shows a significant reduction in ibis numbers at the Yatala site as a result of the management plan implemented by TMR,” Mr Bailey said.
Ibises are a protected species in Queensland, meaning the mitigation plan had to adhere to the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
To achieve this, licensed ecologists placed mesh barriers around the area to prevent the birds from moving onto the road.
Egg and nest removals was also conducted, as well as vegetation clearing to create a “buffer zone.”
“Managing this ibis colony moving on has been a balancing act between the safety of motorists and protecting a native bird,” Mr Bailey said.
“I’m pleased to see the hard work to address it has been done sympathetically and successfully.”
UQ Avian and Exotic Animal Specialist Professor Bob Doneley said moving the colonies was about more than just “mitigating the damage.”
“The key thing to eliminate the behaviour of clustering around roads is to replace it with another behaviour,” he said.
“You can’t just say ‘we’re going to keep them away from the roads’ – you have to offer them a place to go.
“By offering them an alternative where they’re not disturbed, they’re more likely to go there and not the road.”
