Editor's note

Much-maligned ‘bin chickens’ (or White Ibis if we’re being pedantic) have been taking over Australian cities in recent decades, where they’ve made the most of all the scraps that end up in our rubbish bins. As Paul Allatson and Andrea Connor explain, our apparently endless fascination with these birds tells us much about modern Australia’s relationship to nature.

James Whitmore

Deputy Editor: Arts + Culture

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The majestic White Ibis. Shutterstock.com

Friday essay: the rise of the ‘bin chicken’, a totem for modern Australia

Paul Allatson, University of Technology Sydney; Andrea Connor, Western Sydney University

The ibis has become an Australian cultural phenomenon. The birds' tenacity and fearlessness as environmental refugees mean they attract love and hate alike.

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  • How the housing boom has driven rising inequality

    Ilan Wiesel, University of Melbourne; Liss Ralston, Swinburne University of Technology; Wendy Stone, Swinburne University of Technology

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