Modelling urban populations of the Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) to inform management

Since the 1970s, populations of the Australian White Ibis ( Threskiornis molucca ) have dramatically increased in many Australian urban centres. Managers of ibis are currently focusing on limiting this bird’s reproductive success in order to reduce population sizes or at least halt further increases in urban areas. Here we use data on nesting success and survival for three populations of ibis around greater Sydney to develop an age-structured population model. The estimated growth rate for all populations combined was about 1.5 % per year and for individual sites were more variable at −1, −7, and 9 %. For all populations, growth rates were most sensitive (based on elasticity analyses) to the survival of adults and least sensitive to fecundity, especially of 3 year olds. Further exploration of the importance of fecundity rates, which are relatively poorly known for these populations, suggests that rates of 0.7 fledgling per nest per year. The results suggest that ibis from other locations (probably their traditional breeding areas in inland Australia) have immigrated into urban environments as estimated growth rates cannot account for current population sizes. Management strategies must take these findings into account and also consider that ibis are declining in their traditional habitats to avoid exacerbating their decline at a regional scale.