Urban Pest or Aussie Hero? Changing Media Representations of the Australian White Ibis

Abstract

The Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) is an Australian native bird species whose traditional habitat is inland wetlands. Environmental factors have seen the species steadily relocate to the eastern coast of Australia over the last few decades, primarily settling in cities. In 2016, McKiernan and Instone identified that 70% of Australian newspaper reports about the urban ibises from 1998 to 2012 presented the birds as either pests or victims. Since then, the ibis populations have grown, leading to the ibis being voted one of the top ten most commonly seen urban backyard birds in 2019. Media representation both reflects and shapes public perception and understanding, so it is timely for a contemporary investigation into how the ibis is represented in Australian newspapers. Has newspaper representation of the Australian White Ibis changed since 2013? If so, what new narratives have emerged? A content analysis of 68 Australian newspaper items from 2013 to 2024 was conducted with results showing a decrease in pest and victim narratives and the introduction of two new positive narratives-survivor and hero. This finding evidences changes in media representation pointing to potential changes in public understanding of the ibis and the possibility of improved relations between humans and the native bird species.