Scarlet Ibis

Eudocimus rubber

The Scarlet Ibis, with its red plumage, red bill and legs, and black tips is the most flamboyant of the ibises and ranges from Colombia and Venezuela, south to Brazil.  It is commonly found in mud flats and mangrove swamps.  And, they nest colonially in trees, on bushes or among reeds, on cliffs and sometimes on the ground.  Their color is food-enhanced.  They are gregarious birds, colonial nester, feeding and breeding in large flocks along with other long legged and long necked birds.  In flight, a group of ibises beat their wings in unison and then glide.  They produce a honking noise to communicate disturbances in the nest and also for courtship.   Their diet consists of crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates.  Crayfish and small crabs compose a bulk of the diet, along with aquatic insects.  Also, frogs, mollusks, small snakes and small fish.

Egg laying usually takes place between early November through December with the colony visiting nesting sites beginning in mid-September.  There are usually 3 to 5 eggs in each nest and are not glossy but smooth.  Incubation lasts between 19 to 23 days.  Chicks fledge after 35 days and are independent in 75 days.  Their life span is 16 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.