Scarlet ibis
Scarlet ibis | |
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A scarlet ibis at L'Oceanogràfic | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Pelecaniformes |
Family: | Threskiornithidae |
Genus: | Eudocimus |
Species: | E. ruber
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Binomial name | |
Eudocimus ruber | |
Synonyms | |
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The scarlet ibis, sometimes called red ibis (Eudocimus ruber), is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its remarkably brilliant scarlet coloration makes it unmistakable. It is one of the two national birds of Trinidad and Tobago, and its Tupi–Guarani name, guará, is part of the name of several municipalities along the coast of Brazil.[3]
This medium-sized
Taxonomy
The species was first classified by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Initially given the binomial nomenclature of Scolopax rubra[4] (the name incorporates the Latin adjective ruber, "red"), the species was later designated Guara rubra and ultimately Eudocimus ruber.[5]
Biologically the scarlet ibis is very closely related to the
Early ornithological field research revealed no natural crossbreeding among the red and white, lending support to the two-species viewpoint.
Some biologists now wish to pair them with Eudocimus albus as two subspecies of the same American ibis.[4] Others simply define both of them as one and the same species, with ruber being a color variation of albus.[9]
Description
Adult
A juvenile scarlet ibis is a mix of grey, brown, and white. As it grows, a heavy diet of red crustaceans produces the scarlet coloration.[14] The color change begins with the juvenile's second moult, around the time it begins to fly: the change starts on the back and spreads gradually across the body while increasing in intensity over a period of about two years.[10] The scarlet ibis is the only shorebird with red coloration in the world.
Adults are 55–63 centimetres (22–25 in) long,[15] and the males, slightly larger than females, typically weigh about 1.4 kilograms (3.1 lb).[10] Their bills are also on average around 22% longer than those of females.[16] The life span of the scarlet ibis is approximately sixteen years in the wild and twenty years in captivity.[17] An adult scarlet ibis has a wingspan of around 54 centimetres (21 in).[10] Though it spends most of its time on foot or wading through water, the bird is a very strong flyer:[14] they are highly migratory and easily capable of long-distance flight. They move as flocks in a classic V formation.[10]
Distribution and habitat
The range of the scarlet ibis is very large, and colonies are found throughout vast areas of South America and the Caribbean islands. Native flocks exist in
The highest concentrations are found in the
Scarlet ibis
Behavior
Breeding
Mating pairs build nests in a simple style, typically "loose platforms of sticks"[14] of a quality described as "artless".[24] They roost in leaf canopies, mostly preferring the convenient shelter of young waterside mangrove trees.[25] Scarlet ibises like wet, muddy areas such as swamps, but for safety they build their nests in trees well above the water. If they can, they nest on islands, where their eggs and chicks are less likely to be in danger from predators.[26]
To attract a female, the male will perform a variety of mating rituals such as "preening, shaking, bill popping, head rubbing, and high flights. As with most birds, mating does not involve any coupling or insertion: instead, a transfer of seminal fluids occurs during external contact between the
In southeastern Brazil, the ibises gather in colonies in mid-September and build nests at the beginning of November. Egg laying within the colony was synchronous, with female birds laying eggs in three waves in early November, late December and late January.[18]
Feeding
Their distinctive long, thin bills are used to probe for food in soft mud or under plants.[11] Popularly imagined to be eating only shrimp, a recent study in the Llanos has found that much of their diet consists of insects, of which the majority were scarabs and ground beetles.[29] One species in particular, a scarab beetle Dyscinetus dubius, formed a large part of the diet.[29] Other insect prey include water beetles and water bugs.[10] In contrast, the diet of the co-occurring American white ibis there differed, the latter consuming more bugs, fish and crustaceans.[29]
They do, however, eat much shrimp and other similar fare like ragworms (
The Llanos are notable in that these wetland plains support seven species of ibis in the one region. Here, scarlet ibis are the most aggressive, and attack other species to steal their food. They have also been observed trailing white-faced whistling ducks (Dendrocygna viduata) and domestic livestock, and catching insects disturbed by them.[34]
Social behavior
The scarlet ibis is a sociable and gregarious bird, and very communally-minded regarding the search for food and the protection of the young. They live in flocks of thirty or more. Members stay close, and mating pairs arrange their nests in close proximity to other pairs in the same tree.[10]
For protection, flocks often congregate in large colonies of several thousand individuals.[10] They also regularly participate in mixed flocks, gaining additional safety through numbers: storks, spoonbills, egrets, herons and ducks are all common companions during feedings and flights.[10]
Status
The species has protected status throughout the world,
Relationship with humans
The scarlet ibis and the rufous-vented chachalaca, popularly known as the
An important local habitat for the scarlet ibis is the wildlife sanctuary of Caroni Swamp of Trinidad, a 199 hectares (490 acres) wetland reserve first designated in 1953 specifically to provide a habitat for the scarlet ibis.[39]
Using the bird as a literary symbol, American author James Hurst composed a popular short story, "The Scarlet Ibis" (1960).[11] A more recent short story, "Scarlet Ibis" by Margaret Atwood, is included in Bluebeard's Egg (1983).[40] The name also belongs to a book of verse by American poet Susan Hahn.[41]
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Juvenile
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The wing tips are black
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Roosting, Caroni Swamp, Trinidad
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Video of a Scarlet ibis
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ "O GUARÁ". Portal Guaraqueçaba. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
- ^ JSTOR 1521240.
- ^ Denis Lepage (2003). "Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) (Linnaeus, 1758)". Avibase.bsc-eoc.org. BirdLife International. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ Kushlan, James A.; Bildstein, Keith L. (February 10, 2009). "White Ibis". Birds of North America Online. Cornell University. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ OCLC 799120.
- ^ K. Hill (2001). "Species Name: Eudocimus albus". Sms.si.edu. Smithsonian Institution: Marine Station at Fort Pierce. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ISBN 978-1-56164-191-8. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Moolchan, Esther (2011). "The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago: Eudocimus ruber (Scarlet Ibis)" (PDF). University of the West Indies at St. Augustine. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-06-162664-7. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ Ridgway, Robert. “Upon the Close Relationship Between the White and Scarlet Ibises(Eudocimus Albus and E. Rubber).” The Auk 1. 3 (1884): 239-240.
- ^ McWilliams, Gerald M, and Daniel W. Brauning. The Birds of Pennsylvania. Ithaca, N.Y: Cornell University Press, 2000. Print.
- ^ Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park (2011). "Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber)". Rossparkzoo.com. Binghamton Zoo. Archived from the originalon 24 March 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-395-74047-7. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- S2CID 20175660.
- ^ University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ JSTOR 1522244.
- ^ "AVESCATARINENSES :: ANIMAIS". www.avescatarinenses.com.br. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
- ^ "Leitora flagra ave rara na Baía da Babitonga, litoral Norte do Estado". www.nsctotal.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-12-31.
- ISBN 978-0-691-09250-8. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ Audubon, John James (1843). The Birds of America. Vol. VI. J.J. Audubon. p. 53. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ Zahl, Paul A. (1967). "New Scarlet Ibis In Florida Skies". National Geographic. 132: 874–882.
- ^ Bent, Arthur Cleveland (1926). "Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds". United States National Museum Bulletin (35). Smithsonian Institution: 36. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
The scarlet ibis builds its artless nest of brush in inaccessible places on low trees.
- ^ Jan Hein Ribot (2010). "Scarlet Ibis". Nhlstenden.com. NHL Stenden Hogeschool. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ Herons and Relatives. Animals: A Visual Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc., 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 17 September 2012.
- ^ Zahl (1954), p. 194.
- ^ Zahl (1954), p. 195.
- ^ JSTOR 1369623.
- ^ Zahl, p. 188.
- ^ https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/scaibi/cur/introduction
- ISBN 978-0-306-43607-9. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/scaibi/cur/introduction
- ^ Frederick, Peter C.; Bildstein, Keith L. "Foraging Ecology of Seven Species of Neotropical Ibises (Threskiornithidae) during the Dry Season in the Llanos of Venezuela". The Wilson Bulletin. 104 (1): 1–21.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-3500-6. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ a b c National Bird, Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Foreign Affairs].
- ^ Government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago (2008). "National Emblems". Trinidad and Tobago Government Online. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ Martyn Kenefick, Robin Restall & Floyd Hayes, Helm Field Guides: Birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2007), p. 58.
- ISBN 978-2-8317-0540-8. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-8130-1254-4. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-8101-5183-3. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
Further reading
- Journey to Red Birds by Jan Lindblad (New York: Hill and Wang; 1969).
External links
- Data related to Eudocimus ruber at Wikispecies
- Scarlet ibis photo gallery