Scarlet Ibis - Eudocimus ruber

The Scarlet Ibis is a wading bird and it is closely related to the American White Ibis. They may even be in the same species since there are reports that they have bred together and produced chicks that have salmon or pink adult plumage.

The Scarlet Ibis is easily recognized because of its scarlet plumage which gets brighter as they age. Their wingtips are black, their legs and feet pink. Their nostrils are at the base of their bill which allows them to breathe as they stick their bill in water or mud. Scarlet Ibises are social birds and are found in large flocks.

Juveniles are grey, brown and white. As they grow, the pigments from eating red crustaceans produces the scarlet plumage. Females are slightly smaller than the males.

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Juvenile

Juvenile 04/23/2015 - Moody Gardens, Galveston, TX Juvenile 04/23/2015 - Moody Gardens, Galveston, TX

Juvenile 03/13/2013 - Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL Juvenile 03/13/2013 - Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL

Juvenile is on the bottom 03/13/2013 - Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL Juvenile is on the bottom 03/13/2013 - Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL

Adult

08/24/2012 - Panoche Valley, CA 08/24/2012 - Panoche Valley, CA	08/25/2012 - National Aviary, Pittsburg, PA 08/25/2012 - National Aviary, Pittsburg, PA	04/23/2015 - Moody Gardens, Galveston, TX 04/23/2015 - Moody Gardens, Galveston, TX
01/17/2013 - San Francisco Zoo, CA 01/17/2013 - San Francisco Zoo, CA	03/13/2013 - Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL 03/13/2013 - Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL	07/15/2015 - San Francisco Zoo, CA 07/15/2015 - San Francisco Zoo, CA

Diet: Scarlet Ibis feed on insects, shrimp and other crustaceans, fish, etc. by probing in water and mud with their long curved beaks. Their bill have sensitive feelers on the inside which helps them find food.

Courtship: The male attracts the female by doing courtship displays and making various sound such as squeaks, wheezing and whoot-whoot sounds.

Nesting: Scarlet Ibis build their nests in colonies and both parents use sticks to build the nest in trees, bushes and the sides of cliffs. Usually 2-3 eggs are laid and both parents care for the chicks. The chicks are born altricial which means they are helpless and have little feathers at birth.

Habitat and Range: The Scarlet Ibis is found throughout central and northern South American and on some of the Caribbean Islands. It occasionally is seen in Southern Florida.

Plumage/Molt: No information.

Migration: Non-migratory

Plumage: No alternate plumage.

Tongue/feet: Feet are pink.

Bibliography:

• http://en.wikipedia.org The Free Encyclopedia, Accessed June, 2012
• http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/ San Diego Zoo, Accessed June, 2012
• Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Birds,Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2001

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