Scarlet ibis

How it lives

Scarlet ibises use tidal mudflats, mangrove swamps, shallow lakes, freshwater wetlands and flooded fields, and are often seen in flocks with other wading birds. They nest in colonies, often with other waterbirds, building stick nests in mangrove trees over water. Breeding time varies and mostly follows the rains. Females lay 3 to 5 eggs, which hatch after about 19 to 23 days, and chicks fledge after about 35 days. Young birds are grey, brown and white and take about two years to turn red. One source gives about 16 years in the wild, but wild data are limited.

Where it goes

Scarlet ibises move locally and disperse, rather than making one fixed migration, and flocks commute between feeding grounds and roosts. At Caroni Swamp in Trinidad, many birds return at dusk to roost in the mangroves after flying about 18 km (11 miles) to feed in Venezuela. Guyana's Shell Beach Protected Area, which has the largest intact mangrove forests in the country, lists the species among its wildlife.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

The IUCN lists the scarlet ibis as Least Concern (2016). Populations fluctuate and several local groups appear to be declining. Brazil lists it as endangered nationally, and French Guiana has seen declines. Threats include loss of coastal mangroves, wetland degradation and disturbance. At Caroni Swamp in Trinidad, 2,500 nests were counted in 1963, the birds largely stopped breeding there after 1970, and regular breeding of about 500 pairs has since returned, with up to 15,000 birds present outside the breeding season. Hunting continues there despite protection. No global count was found in the sources opened.