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The Underbirds

Contrary to popular opinion I love the Underdog birds or the “Underbirds”. Here are just some of the amazing birds that people love to hate. Pictures are all my own.

By Lisa IkinPublished 4 years ago Updated 2 years ago 4 min read
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The humble White Ibis, known to most as the “Bin Chicken”
Maggies are one of my favourite birds despite their bad rap.

I have always had a thing for the “Underdog”, or in this case, the “Underbird”, the birds that people don’t like or, in some cases, hate.

The Silver Gull is a magnificent bird.

You know the ones. The seagulls who come down and snatch your fish and chips from your plate while you are eating. The high pitched squealing, the squabbling, the flapping wings. Sometimes they only have one leg. They are survivors. They are scavengers.

The humble Ibis derogatorily named the “Bin Chicken”, or the “Tip Turkey” is another. They are everywhere. The Ibis was a royal bird back in Egyptian times. Their ancient heads used to grace the body of Thoth, an Egyptian God. How did they fall so far from grace? Despite winning The Guardian’s “Bird of the Year“ award in 2017, which has caused them to become a bit of a cult bird, they are still the bird that people love to hate. They can be found in parks and reserves, sometimes scavenging rubbish from bins.

According to a recent study, the Ibis makes its meal choices according to the weather. The sunny weather means they can be expected to be fed by picnickers, so they go to the park where people picnic, and the rainy weather makes them choose a more natural location for their foraging.

The Silver Gull and the Ibis have one thing in common. They are scavengers and opportunists. I love a scavenger, and I think that’s because I am one myself. Nothing gives me more joy than a garage sale, a verge pick-up, or an opportunity shop. Finding a treasure on the roadside is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

That brings me to another bird. “Rats of the sky”, they are called—the domestic grey pigeon. You know the ones, they roost on old buildings in the cities, you see them in London in Trafalgar Square. People feed them. Once again have received a bad rap. How did they end up with a nickname like “Rats of the sky”? Rats are not the most popular of animals. But I have a bit of a soft spot for the humble pigeon. When I was a kid, the neighbours had a cage full of homing pigeons, and I had never seen anything more beautiful than those pigeons when they were let out every day. Every morning they would be released for a couple of hours, and they would fly in formation, making wide arcs around the neighbourhood. They would always return to their cage because they were homing birds. They return to their place of roosting and where they are fed.

A “Rat of the Sky” resting

Then there are the birds that have been introduced to an area where they are not endemic. The passion with which self-professed ”bird people” deride these innocent creatures is something I will never understand. Here in Western Australia, one of the most beautiful Australian birds, the Rainbow Lorikeet, is an introduced species to this part of the world. The Rainbow Lorikeet was released here by the early European settlers through no fault of its own. The population has become so great that these cheeky, nectar-eating parrots are taking up the nesting spots of native Western Australian birds. What to do? Apart from a total genocide of the existing birds, what other solution is there to live with them and accommodate them? I find this attitude a bit rich coming from the biggest and most destructive “invader” of the lot!

The Rainbow Lorikeet, an unwelcome immigrant in some circles

I love a bird with attitude, and my all-time favourite Australian bird with an “A” for attitude is the magpie. What is not to love about these intelligent, sassy birds. Every year, during mating season, from August to November in Australia, there are news reports about magpies dive-bombing people. The magpie will swoop on strangers passing through their nesting zone because they are protecting their young. Simple right? There are endless tips for avoiding or protecting yourself from these swooping birds; wear a helmet, carry a stick, paint eyes on your hat, wave your arms around, and keep out of their zone.

Personally, I have never been swooped, and my strategy is to make friends with them. I don’t mean feeding them but making eye contact with them. When I am out in the neighbourhood, saying a few words or making a magpie sound. Yes, I am that crazy bird lady! They have an incredible memory for faces and voices. Once you have befriended them, they will not attack. Well, that’s my experience anyway!

I am a bird person and could safely say that there is no bird for which I can’t find a redeeming feature. I particularly love the cockatoos. The Corellas, Pink and Grey Galahs, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and the Black Cockatoos. Their crazy antics and their loud demeanour, but I know that the farmers are waging an all-out war on these birds. I understand the why, but these birds have been around forever. It shouldn’t be a surprise that they have developed a taste for our crops and orchards. In 2017 the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos in New South Wales chewed through and attacked National Broadband Network cables and caused $80000 in damage. But come on, who hasn’t felt like doing that to our less than satisfactory internet service?

Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo
The clowns of the bird world - Pink & Grey Galah

I am not from Queensland, but I have visited, and I admit to holding a massive fascination for Brush Turkey. The locals will complain that the Brush Turkey digs up their gardens and creates large nesting mounds and then, to add insult to injury, rumbles around on their rooftops, wreaking havoc with family dogs and keeping people awake at night. A hooligan if ever I have known one! Who doesn’t love a hooligan?

Bird person or not, everyone has their favourites, even if they watch them from a great distance. Whether they be ”Rats of the Sky”, “Bin Chickens”, ”Surf Chickens, ”Tip Turkeys”, or “Bird Brains”, they are all living creatures, and they all deserve a place in this world.

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About the Creator

Lisa Ikin

Freelance writer, amateur photographer, occasional performer of personal stories @Barefaced Stories. Lover of nature, music and art. I write content and copy for small businesses and teach part time in Perth, Western Australia

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