In 2023 Biodiverse Environmental was tasked with managing the overabundant Ibis population on the islands of Lake Alford in Gympie, allowing other native species, in particular the Cattle Egret, to continue nesting on the islands. Ibis can become quite aggressive towards other bird species, and the overabundant Ibis population in recent years has pushed the Cattle Egret away from the islands.
The overabundance of Ibis was also increasing vegetation destruction, which had led to soil erosion on the islands. Managing the ibis population on the islands has the added benefit of helping to prevent soil erosion, which leads to less runoff, resulting in an improvement of the water quality surrounding the islands. The Biodiverse team managed the population in a number of different ways, including removing Ibis nesting roosts and materials, removing Ibis eggs which had been abandoned and/or removing injured or deceased birds to aid in disease control on the islands. Empty nests were also removed to limit the movement of Ibis into new nests and to discourage the laying of new eggs.
The focus of this project was on helping the parklands become better ecologically balanced for all native birds and other fauna. This ecological balance will promote vegetative growth and enhance water quality and create a more attractive and enjoyable parklands for the community.
