A probable Australian White Ibis Threskiornis moluccus × Straw-necked Ibis T. spinicollis hybrid

Abstract

We observed a probable juvenile Australian White Ibis Threskiornis moluccus × Straw-necked Ibis T. spinicollis hybrid on the Lachlan River catchment, New South Wales, in November 2016. Photographs, combined with observations, demonstrate phenotypic characteristics of both these ibis species. The bird had a pattern on the wing similar to the Australian White Ibis but coloration on the body similar to the Straw-necked Ibis. To our knowledge, this is only the second report of a probable hybrid between these two species in the wild, and the first report documented with photographs.