The scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) is a South American wading bird that belongs to the same order as herons, spoonbills, and storks. The scarlet ibis is most noted for its vibrant scarlet coloration, which it derives from its diet of shrimp and other crustaceans. Both males and females exhibit the same coloration, but young scarlet ibises are dull in comparison, with gray-brown upper-parts and white underbellies. Scarlet ibises form large colonies and build their nests in close proximity to each other in trees that are close to water.
Scarlet ibises forage for food by probing their long curved bills into soft mud. They also are known to sway their bills back and forth in shallow water to capture prey.
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- Diet: shrimp, crabs, various crustaceans, mollusks, and insects
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Classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Aves
- Order: Ciconiiformes
- Family: Threskiornithidae
- Subfamily: Threshkiornithinae
- Genus: Eudocimus
- Species: Eudocimus ruber
Range and Habitat:
The scarlet ibis inhabits the swamps, mudflats, wetlands and coastal regions of northern South America and parts of southern Central America.
References:
- Burnie D, Wilson DE. 2001. Animal. London: Dorling Kindersley. 624 p.
- Dumas JV. 2000. Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), Birds of North America Online. April 29, 2007.
