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Adopt an Animal!
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| Common Name: | Scarlet Ibis | Family: | Threskiornithidae |
| Latin Name: | Eudocimus ruber | Diet: | Omnivore |
| Type: | Bird | Habitat: | Wetlands |
| Native To: | South America | Social Unit: | Group |
| IUCN Red List Status: | Least concern |
Scarlet ibis at Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo has eight scarlet ibis: four males and four females. Our ibis receive a diet of prawns, mussels and insectivorous bird food. They are very fond of insects such as mealworms and crickets. They have a special supplement added to their diet that contains pigments to maintain their scarlet colouring.
Our scarlet ibis can often be seen probing the muddy areas of the enclosure with their long beaks, exactly how they would use them to find their food in the wild. You can tell when our ibis are close to breeding because their long bills darken.
Where it can be found at Edinburgh Zoo
Our flock of scarlet ibis shares an enclosure with the Chilean flamingos, on the right-hand side near the Zoo entrance.
Scarlet ibis in the wild
The scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) is found in South America ranging from Trinidad and Tobago, down through Venezuela to Brazil, living in fresh and salt water marshes and swamps. The scarlet ibis is the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago.
The scarlet ibis is so named due to their bright colour which is produced by the shellfish they eat. Both sexes look the same although males are larger. They have a long curved bill which not only aids them while hunting for food in the water, but also allows them to clean and smooth their feathers. Long legs allow them to wade through marshes and swamps easily. They are both strong fliers and swimmers.
Their main source of food is found in the water where they hunt crabs, fish, insects and prawns. However they will also eat fruit and seeds.
Scarlet ibis live together in large flocks, nesting in trees together at night. During the breeding season the male will put on a display to attract a female, once paired the two will mate for life.
These ibis are at risk not only from habitat loss but also poisoning from insecticides which also affects their food source.
IUCN Red List category: Least Concern
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