Bin Chickens & Scrub Turkeys
- kpsounders
- Aug 20, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 20, 2023
Friday here in Sydney was another World Cup rest day, so we made plans to go to Taronga Zoo on a different part of Sydney harbor. Meant we get to ride a ferry cross part of the harbor and see some of Australia's unique wild life. I imagine Maryke will also post on this, but I have to get in about a couple lesser known animals.
Every city has its pigeons and surely every coastal city has some sort of seagull. (It's interesting how the gulls here are smaller and yet louder with some having quite a 'death scream' than the ones back home). But this isn't about them. It's about the Australian white Ibis and his or her kinda friend, the Australian Brush Turkey. Yep Brush Turkey.
These two birds, while on surface don't seem to be in league with pigeons or gulls, sure have earned a similar reputation in Australia. At Taronga zoo, we saw several Brush Turkeys just wandering around and really not afraid of human interaction, at least not the ones we saw at Taronga Zoo.
So the white ibis has gained the reputation of rooting in trash for food it's also picked up the name 'Bin Chicken'. Which is a great name. And they are kinda common around Sydney. We saw some at the zoo and also on the streets. Saw one trying to get in among a few pigeons dividing up some bit of food and was amusing to see it just sorta make its way among the group. They didn't seem to mind either. Also saw one just walking along the sidewalk sorta near our hotel.
They even walk on walls...
Well kinda 🙃
And really this seems a continuation of bird life just integrating with humans here. Pigeons and especially seagulls regularly seem to be just allowed to wander into restaurants, at least their outdoor seating but sometimes also the indoor. No big deal, right? Even saw a gull dive bomb a tourist eating a burger and grabbed some right outta his hand on the wharf where the harbor ferries dock. It was great!
The brush turkey or scrub turkey is native to Australia and a protected species. According to google, they were nearly hunted to extinction during the Great Depression, but since becoming protected have rebounded enough to kinda flourish. At least it sure looked it at Taronga zoo.
So yah you can see your kangaroos, your platypus, even a tassie devil or a wombat. But when the Bin Chicken is around, or the Scrub Turkey is in town, then you know you’re in Sydney for sure.
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