You are here: Home : About the Zoo : Animal Finder : Scarlet ibis
The Scarlet Ibis are a bit more shy then some of the other Ibis species making observation in the wild very difficult.
photo: Tom Gillespie
Characteristics: Ibis fly with their neck outstretched and inclined slightly downward and the wings held in a concave shape. Their wing beats are more rapid then those of herons and they are able to glide for short durations. They are gregarious but a bit shy and will keep to the well-covered areas and spend a good portion of their day in the very tops of well-developed mangroves.The bill is long and down curve shaped. They possess magnificent carmine red plumage due to caratinoid canthaxanthin acquired through the foods they eat.
Males and females are similar in appearance until the breeding season when the male’s bill becomes shiny black while the females remain brownish black. Also, the male’s legs will become more brilliant red in color while the females remain a dull pink color. The males will often times inflate a throat patch during the breeding season as well. These are two small little pink sacs on each side of the throat. Males also tend to be larger then the females.
Immature birds tend to have quite different coloring and a much shorter bill. They are dark brown with a lower back and upper tail coverts white and a yellowish, white abdomen. Nestlings are covered with black down and have a straight bill.
They are native to Central and South America where they can be found in two disjunct populations in Brazil, one in the north and one in the south. They can also be found north of Brazil along the coasts of all countries of northern South America to Columbia, Ecuador, Trinidad and the Antilles, and they were introduced to Florida. They were one of the most common among the aquatic bird species of the Amazon region in 1894 but have now become scarce in areas and are totally eliminated from the southeastern part of the county. They inhabit mostly mangroves along the coastlines, estuaries, lagoons and swamps.
Diet: Scarlet Ibis feed in flocks on crabs, mollusks, small fish, frogs, and insects. Small crustaceans play animportant role in the Scarlet Ibis diet, being responsible for their intense red pigmentation. They have been known to take some of the larger variety of crabs as well and will first remove the large claws before ingesting.
An unhealthy captive bird can often be spotted by its faded and mottled plumage if it is not eating properly or offered canthaxanthin or beta-carotene supplements regularly. This species feeds in shallow, brackish water where it will walk slowly with the tip of its bill submerged while opening and closing the mandibles in search of food. They have also been seen probing into the soil in the shallows and water’s edge in search of burrowing crabs, insects and crustaceans.
At the N.C. Zoo they are fed a diet made up of Bird of Prey meat mixed with Mazuri flamingo diet, a dry diet that has a balanced nutritional content to supply the beta-caroten they need for their coloration as well as their health. In addition, they are offered several silversides in their meal once a week and they have access to a variety of live insects including mealworms, waxworms and crickets.
Reproduction: The Scarlet Ibis are a bit more shy then some of the other Ibis species and tend to nest in very dense vegetation, making observation in the wild very difficult. They are known to fly 60-70 km from their feeding grounds to their nest sights in a day if need be. They often share nesting colonies with The Wood Stork. Ordinarily they choose to use existing nests at midlevel in mangroves. The structure is a loose platform of sticks in a treetop, often over the water. Both males and females will build the nest if. Eggs are light green, heavily blotched with brown, and the female lays 2-3 eggs per clutch. Incubation period is 23-24 days and chicks are fed by regurgitation.
Conservation Message: Like so many other bird species, the Scarlet Ibis has had a steady population decline in many parts of it’s range and have even become extinct in some areas. They are valued as pets in Amazonia and are kept to rid the garden of insects and have a reputation for great cleanliness. It has become extinct in a great portion of its Brazilian range because of egg hunting, destruction of nesting colonies, and intense hunting for its feathers, used for adornments. It is normally protected by ranchers however as a biological control that holds down the population of noxious insects.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the fisherman. Aqua Agriculture has become a fast growing and very destructive enterprise throughout South America. This is the practice of cutting down a large portion of the mangroves, thereby destroying the birds homes and nests, and then fishing all of the fish out of that area as quickly as possible, thereby taking all of their food as well. This is accomplished as quickly and thoroughly as possible before they move on to harvest the next area of mangroves. This is perhaps the thing that may cause the Ibis’ ultimate demise.
What You Can Do
e-mail this page
print this page
N.C. Zoo is a member institution of AZA and an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr. Secretary; Michael F. Easley, Governor. A part of the North Carolina Government portal.
The Zoo is closed Christmas day and during severe weather. Call our information line at: 1-800-488-0444.
