The Secret Life of the Sydney Bin Chicken
In a time of lockdowns and environmental threat, the iconic and modest Ibis is quickly becoming a symbolic totem of hope, during a time which seems so bleak. A friend asked me whether he should get a Lion or Eagle tattooed on his arm. He explained it represents his strong character and charisma in life. I suggested “what about the endearing Ibis.?” What seems to be a feral, rat-like bin chicken, the unappealing Ibis actually holds many characteristics and mannerisms that society requires so desperately during these ‘dark times’ as my niece would say. Wait till she finds out that Netflix and YouTube did not exist 10 years ago.
Sprawling in the concrete urban jungles and ever increasing sanitised corporatised cities, there lays the majestic Bin Chicken ever adapting and overcoming any challenge its faced with. For years our sacred Ibis have been challenged with an overpopulation in our cities and the destruction of their ecosystems. From glistening ponds & bright green shrubbery to grunge driven alleyways splattered with grime, our city-dwelling Bin Chickens have managed to survive and adapt to their shifting environment. Rummaging around in our bins and eating what’s left of your half eaten creme brulee you raved about to your pretentious friends. They are literally the modern-day real life ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!’
So what am I trying to get at? From the naked eye, many deem the Ibis at the bottom of the pecking order, ‘disgusting scavengers,’ but we can all learn a thing or two from their secret lives. We often walk pass these birds not knowing about the trial and tribulations they face on a daily basis, and how much they have adapted to their surroundings. That is why I admire our Bin Chicken friends as they have shown us that we can adapt to our environment no matter the circumstances even in a pandemic. If there’s one animal I’d get a tattoo of it would be the Sydney Bin Chicken.
