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.
The Scarlet Ibis inhabits the swamps, mudflats, wetlands and coastal regions of northern South America and parts of southern Central America.
Diet:
Shrimp, crabs, various crustaceans, mollusks, and insects.
Status:
The Scarlet Ibis has no special designation on the IUCN Red List. Nonetheless, the species faces threats from overhunting, harvesting of eggs, and capture of young birds for the pet trade.
References:
Burnie, D. and D.E. Wilson. Animal. Dorling Kindersley. London. 2001.
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