Scarlett Ibis - Burnet Park Zoo
A closer look at the Scarlet Ibis - Habitat in the wild: they are native to the tropical regions of northern South America from Venezuela to eastern Brazil and coastal islands. They inhabit fresh and salt water estuaries, swamps, lagoons, shallow bays, marshes, mud flats and mangrove trees. It is a shorebird with bright red plumage, the result of their diet that includes carotene-rich crustaceans. Length: 30 inches, males are slightly larger than females. Wingspan: up to 38 inches. Both sexes are alike with long, spindly legs, partially webbed feet, a long and slender neck, a short, stubby tail, and a long downward curving bill which is longer and thicker on the male. They range from pink to bright red with black tipped feathers on the wing tips. The red coloration intensifies as the bird grows older. The young are dull grayish-brown with white undersides. Ibis are social birds that fly and feed in flocks of up to 30 birds. Scarlett Ibis are strong fliers and swimmers. The flocks fly in a V formation to decrease the wind resistance. They live and forage for food with other types of wading birds like herons and egrets. They find their prey by rooting around with their bill in the mud at the bottom of riverbanks and large bodies of water. Lifespan in the wild: 16-20 years. In captivity: about 20 years (record is 31). Diet in the wild: crabs, mollusks, small fish, frogs, insects, shrimp, other crustaceans and small snakes. Zoo diet: worms, seeds, meal mix and crustaceans. Located in the Diversity of Birds Exhibit at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park, One Conservation Place (off South Wilbur Ave) in Syracuse, NY
Scarlett Ibis - Burnet Park Zoo
A closer look at the Scarlet Ibis - Habitat in the wild: they are native to the tropical regions of northern South America from Venezuela to eastern Brazil and coastal islands. They inhabit fresh and salt water estuaries, swamps, lagoons, shallow bays, marshes, mud flats and mangrove trees. It is a shorebird with bright red plumage, the result of their diet that includes carotene-rich crustaceans. Length: 30 inches, males are slightly larger than females. Wingspan: up to 38 inches. Both sexes are alike with long, spindly legs, partially webbed feet, a long and slender neck, a short, stubby tail, and a long downward curving bill which is longer and thicker on the male. They range from pink to bright red with black tipped feathers on the wing tips. The red coloration intensifies as the bird grows older. The young are dull grayish-brown with white undersides. Ibis are social birds that fly and feed in flocks of up to 30 birds. Scarlett Ibis are strong fliers and swimmers. The flocks fly in a V formation to decrease the wind resistance. They live and forage for food with other types of wading birds like herons and egrets. They find their prey by rooting around with their bill in the mud at the bottom of riverbanks and large bodies of water. Lifespan in the wild: 16-20 years. In captivity: about 20 years (record is 31). Diet in the wild: crabs, mollusks, small fish, frogs, insects, shrimp, other crustaceans and small snakes. Zoo diet: worms, seeds, meal mix and crustaceans. Located in the Diversity of Birds Exhibit at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park, One Conservation Place (off South Wilbur Ave) in Syracuse, NY