A bird that many Australians dislike has had an image change. The white ibis, which is indigenous to Australia, is helping to get rid of the invasive cane toad. Many Australians view the ibis as a pest because it scavenges for food from the trash. It even steals food from people's hands. People nickname it the "bin chicken". The word "bin" is Australian English for trash can. People now like the ibis because it has learnt how to eat the poisonous cane toad.
Cane toads came to Australia in the 1930s. Sugar farmers wanted them to eat a beetle that was eating their crops. However, the toads ate many insects and small animals to the point of extinction. They spread all across the country. They had no predators until until the ibis learnt to kill them. The ibises pick the toads up and shake them. The stress from this makes the toads release all their poison. The ibises then wash the toads in water and eat them.
Try the same news story at these levels:
Invasive Species - Level 5 or Invasive Species - Level 6
Sources- https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/ibis-birds-eating-poisonous-cane-toads/
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-63699884
- https://junkee.com/ibis-eating-cane-toads/345141
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