Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis is one of the most vividly colored birds in the Americas, with adults sporting an almost uniform, brilliant scarlet-red plumage set off only by black tips on the outer wing feathers. Its long, down-curved bill is typically dark or blackish, and its legs are red like the rest of the body.

The intense red coloration comes from carotenoid pigments in the crustaceans that make up much of its diet; birds raised on a carotenoid-poor diet, such as in some captive settings, can appear noticeably paler. Young birds are grey and white, gradually acquiring the full scarlet plumage over about two years.

Key field marks

• Overall brilliant scarlet-red plumage with black wingtips
• Long, down-curved dark bill
• Red legs
• Juveniles grey-brown, gradually turning red with age

Similar species

The White Ibis is its closest relative and shares the same curved-bill shape and black wingtips, but is white rather than red; the two species can hybridize where their ranges meet, occasionally producing pink or blotchy intermediate birds.

Habitat

Scarlet Ibis favor coastal mangroves, mudflats, and estuarine wetlands, particularly around river deltas and coastal lagoons.

Range and migration

The species is native to northern South America, including Venezuela, Trinidad, the Guianas, and northern Brazil, with populations largely resident, though flocks may move locally in response to water levels and food availability.

Behavior

Highly gregarious, Scarlet Ibis forage, roost, and fly in tight flocks, and their communal roosts at dusk, when hundreds of birds settle into mangrove trees, create one of the most striking wildlife spectacles in South America.

Voice

A harsh, grunting croak, given mainly at roosts and colonies, similar to other ibis species.

Feeding

It probes mud and shallow water with its curved bill for crabs, shrimp, and mollusks, whose carotenoid pigments give the bird its signature color.

Nesting and breeding

Scarlet Ibis nest colonially in mangroves, often alongside other wading birds, laying clutches of 2-4 eggs in stick nests built over water.