Gold Coast ibis drama: Elston Restaurant and Bar owner says tip chickens are threatening tourists and children

THE Gold Coast has been inundated by a swarm of ibis just weeks out from the Commonwealth Games. But a wildlife expert has revealed the shock reason why there’s so many of them.

IBIS now rule the streets — and the birds are hanging out in the tourist strip because they’re bored, says a wildlife expert.

With just 14 days to go until the Commonwealth Games, Surfers Paradise eateries say the birds have ramped up their terror tactics in harassing tourists and children trying to eat and drink in the tourist hub.

Elston Restaurant and Bar owner John Lucas yesterday accused the city council of waving the white flag in the battle to rein in the marauding “bin chickens’’ because officers were not catching the controversial birds and shipping them away from The Esplanade.

An ibis cruising along with a snack. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

But Griffith University behavioural ecologist Professor Darryl Jones said it was extremely difficult to move the birds from playing around in the city because all food would have to be eradicated from the area.

“For them (ibis) it’s not a snack, they’re not even hungry because they spend hours feeding naturally in the morning,” Prof Jones said.

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

“Most people don’t take it too seriously but recently we did a survey which found 70 per cent of interactions with ibis were positive.”

Ibis are allegedly scaring children. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

It’s the latest development since Mr Lucas’s business neighbour, Greek Street Grill owner Theo Kostoglou, took the extraordinary step in December of hiring a “bird shoo-er” to stop the pests harassing and scaring customers.

“There’s a chance they’ll hurt some of the kids. They scare the absolute hell out of the kids,” said Mr Lucas of the native birds that congregate in the area.

He said some of the Gold Coast’s ibis population — estimated by the council at 2500, down from 12,500 in 1998 — were eating straight from diners’ plates, which was a health risk.

Is this the new natural habitat e Surfers Paradise Beachfront. Picture Glenn Hampson

He said capturing and driving the ibis away from the city should be a regular job for council staff, like mowing lawns, because they were a nuisance.

This was despite a council report saying the birds fly up to 20km a day.

“We’d suggest council take them up and move them somewhere else,” Mr Lucas said.

“You know they might have to do it once every three months, but they mow the lawns every other month.”

A council spokesman said city staff were doing their job keeping the area clean and it was up to restaurant owners to look after their own venues.

“Council officers have previously advised the restaurateurs that it is their responsibility to manage this issue on their own premises,” said a spokeswoman.