# Scarlet Ibis (*Eudocimus ruber*) The Scarlet Ibis is a beautiful bird known for its bright red feathers. It loves to live near water and can often be seen wading in shallow ponds and marshes looking for food. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Scarlet Ibis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Eudocimus_ruber_Corocora_Scarlet_Ibis_%286264848783%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Félix Uribe from Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eudocimus_ruber_Corocora_Scarlet_Ibis_%286264848783%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Scarlet Ibis is a medium-sized wading bird famously adorned in brilliant, fiery red plumage from head to tail, with only black wingtips visible in flight. Its long, slender, downcurved beak is reddish, perfect for probing, making it distinct from other wading birds. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Pelecaniformes - **Family:** Threskiornithidae - **Genus:** Eudocimus ## Interesting facts - Baby ibises are brown, slowly turning red as they eat special foods! - Imagine flying with 1,000 friends – Scarlet Ibises often do, in huge flocks! - Scarlet Ibises are Venezuela's national bird, a symbol of their vibrant nature! - These birds use their curved beaks like chopsticks to slurp up tasty crabs! ## Special abilities - **Color-Changing Diet:** Scarlet Ibis has intensely red feathers that come from pigments in the crustaceans they eat, helping them attract mates. - **Mud Prober:** Scarlet Ibis can find hidden food in soft mud because its long, curved beak acts like specialized tongs, reaching deep. - **Social Navigator:** Scarlet Ibis can fly in large, synchronized flocks, helping them find new food sources and navigate safely. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 56-61 cm - **Wingspan:** 85-95 cm - **Weight:** 0.65-0.86 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-5 - **Incubation:** 19-23 days ## Diet & Feeding These vibrant birds feast on small aquatic animals, which also gives them their famous fiery red color! - **Primary Foods:** Shrimp, Crabs, Small fish, Aquatic insects, Worms - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Fiddler Crab (*Uca pugnax*) — Feasts on fiddler crabs for food and color. - **Eats:** [Guppy](https://www.snappit.app/explore/guppy) (*Poecilia reticulata*) — Consumes small fish in shallow waters. - **Eaten by:** Boa Constrictor (*Boa constrictor*) — Eggs and chicks can be prey for snakes. - **Eaten by:** [Spectacled Caiman](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spectacled-caiman) (*Caiman crocodilus*) — Young birds are vulnerable to caimans. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Scarlet Ibis? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Scarlet Ibis? 56-61 cm ### What is Scarlet Ibis's wingspan? 85-95 cm ### How much does Scarlet Ibis weigh? 0.65-0.86 kg ### How long does Scarlet Ibis live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Scarlet Ibis move? 60 km/h ### What does Scarlet Ibis eat? These vibrant birds feast on small aquatic animals, which also gives them their famous fiery red color! ### Where is Scarlet Ibis usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Cameron Park Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cameron-park-zoo) — Texas, US · Zoo - [Santa Ana Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/santa-ana-zoo) — California, US · Zoo - [Central Park Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/central-park-zoo) — New York, US · Zoo - [NaturZoo Rheine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturzoo-rheine) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Zoo - [Sequoia Park Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sequoia-park-zoo) — California, US · Zoo - [Amerika-Tierpark Limbach-Oberfrohna](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/amerika-tierpark-limbach-oberfrohna) — Sachsen, DE · Zoo [View all places to see Scarlet Ibis](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/scarlet-ibis) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Scarlet Ibis: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scarlet-ibis)