Ibises steali food from restaurant tables because ‘they are bored’

  • Ibises are continuing to steal food from outdoor Gold Coast restaurant tables
  • Businesses owners at Surfers Paradise are hiring people to shoo the pests away
  • With two weeks to go until Commonwealth Games, they are worried for tourists
  • Griffith University expert Professor Darryl Jones said the ibises were just bored 

Pesky ibises steal food from outdoor restaurant tables because they are bored, experts say. 

The long-legged birds, often known as ‘bin chickens’, are annoying business owners on the Gold Coast as the Queensland city prepares to host the Commonwealth Games.

With just two weeks to go, restaurant operators at popular Surfers Paradise just want the ibises to be taken away by council rangers.

Pesky ibises steal food from outdoor restaurant tables at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast because they are bored

However, Griffith University behavioural ecologist Professor Darryl Jones said the white birds were simply bored and weren’t hungry.

‘For them it’s not a snack, they’re not even hungry because they spend hours feeding naturally in the morning,’ he told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

With just two weeks to go, restaurant operators at popular Surfers Paradise just want the ibises to be taken away

With just two weeks to go, restaurant operators at popular Surfers Paradise just want the ibises to be taken away

‘It’s something for them to do all day — they just muck around.’

Some business owners have taken the extraordinary step of hiring someone to shoo the birds away, fearing the ibises will harass tourists visiting the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games and may harm children.

Greek Street Grill owner Theo Kostoglou did this in December to stop the native birds from harassing his customers, the newspaper reported.

A Gold Coast City Council spokeswoman said scaring away the birds was a matter for business owners.  

However, Griffith University behavioural ecologist Professor Darryl Jones said the white birds were simply bored and weren't hungry

However, Griffith University behavioural ecologist Professor Darryl Jones said the white birds were simply bored and weren’t hungry



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk