Gold Coast ibis: Surfers Paradise bin chickens watch the body language of diners according to a local restaurateur

Ibis — aka bin chickens — that frequent the Surfers Paradise tourist strip have become experts in body language, allowing them to steal food from under people’s noses, according to a local restaurateur.

MARAUDING flocks of ibis that raid the eating areas of the Surfers Paradise tourist strip daily have become experts in body language, according to a restaurateur.

The ever-hungry, crafty birds with long curved beaks ideal for snatching chips from unwary diners now seem to understand the psychology of tourists.

Managing the polarising pelecaniformes has been an ongoing daily task for Greek Street Grill owner Theo Kostoglou, his staff and neighbouring eateries for years, forcing him to take the extraordinary step of hiring a “bird shoo-er” in 2017.

This ibis is patiently waiting for someone to take their eye off their plate. Picture Glenn Hampson

But Mr Kostoglou said that in 2019, the bin chickens were now so attuned to diners that they would pounce on scraps left on tables if patrons so much as looked away even for a moment.

“They’ll watch people closely and if they turn their backs they’ll jump up on the table,” Mr Kostoglou said.

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He said the birds loved to arrive on the strip from midday every day.

I’ll just grab this … Picture Glenn Hampson

“They watch (the diner’s) face and if they’re not watching them they’ll do it. They know,” he said.

“They don’t touch people, they’ll just get on the tables to try to eat food.”

Gold Coast City Council maintains it is up to restaurant owners to manage their own premises and for workers to keep the area clean of scraps.

Hungry bird coming through! Picture Glenn Hampson

“They said it’s not their problem and even if they were to get rid of them they would just fly back because they have a food source there, like they’re trained,” Mr Kostoglou said.

He said all that could be done was for restaurant staff to arm themselves with spray bottles filled with a water and vinegar mixture to keep the birds at bay.

“Vinegar scares them off for a little bit and then they come back,” he said.

Some tourists are scared of the ‘tip turkeys’. Picture Glenn Hampson

Despite studies from Griffith University behavioural ecologist Professor Darryl Jones that found 70 per cent of interactions with ibis were “positive’’, South Australian tourist Kate Size said she and her daughters were not fond of the tip turkeys.

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“I just hate the birds and my daughters are pretty scared of them,” Mrs Size said after her family visited Dreamworld, where she said there were ibis around the food court.

“At one point there were three on one table fighting over food.”

The council estimates there are 2500 of the birds on the Gold Coast, down from 12,500 in 1998 despite the native bird’s reputation for thriving in urban areas.