Class: Aves

Order: Ciconiiformes

Scientific Name: Eudocimus ruber

Range: Northern South America, southeast Brazil

Habitat: Tropical coasts and littorals, mangrove swamps,tidal flats, muddy estuaries, dense cane brakes

Diet: Wild: Crustaceans, mollusks, fish from mud flats and shallow waters Zoo: Chopped fish, shrimp, insectivorous diet

Gestation: Incubation: 21-23 days

Litter: Clutch size: 2

Description: The scarlet color of this 22 in. long bird fades when the bird is deprived of its natural food but addition of shrimp to the zoo diet helps to restore the color. The bill is like that of a curlew.· Once pursued by hunters for its brilliant plumage and reputed good-tasting flesh, this bird is now protected. In 1961 24 South American scarlet ibis eggs were placed in American white ibis nests in Florida. Seventeen hatched and years of cross-breeding between the scarlet and white ibises has produced pink ibises and other hybrid shades.

Where in the Zoo? I can be found in the RainForest Aviary & Surrounding Exhibits at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.