Animal
Scarlet ibis
A red wetland bird that searches for food with a curved bill.
Langue du contenu
The scarlet ibis’s long, down-curved bill acts as a probe for searching mud. The bird moves slowly through shallow water, extracting small animals from the bottom. Crustaceans, especially crabs, are an important part of its diet, alongside insects, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates. Long legs allow it to wade while the slender bill reaches food hidden beneath the surface.
Scarlet ibises inhabit northern South America and Caribbean coasts. They use lagoons, river mouths, marshes and mangroves, the forests that grow along waterlogged shores. Adults stand out for their intense red colour. Young birds are brownish, gradually acquiring their characteristic colour as they mature.
This is a social species that forms colonies, sometimes alongside other waterbirds. It feeds mainly during the day and spends the night in trees or scrub near water. It also nests in trees above water, often in mangroves. Both parents take part in incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks. Wetlands therefore provide feeding grounds, places for night-time rest and sites where ibises raise their offspring.
Pour les enfants
A scarlet ibis has a long, curved bill. It pushes the bill into mud to search for food. In shallow water it finds crabs, insects, molluscs and other small animals. Long legs help it wade.
In the wild it lives in northern South America and around the Caribbean. It favours wetlands, river mouths and mangroves, forests on wet coasts. An adult ibis is red, but a young bird has brownish feathers. The red colour develops gradually.
Ibises stay together in colonies. They look for food during the day and sleep in trees or scrub at night. They also build nests in trees above water. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. Water is therefore close by both at mealtimes and during family life.
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