
The Scarlet Ibis (Eudcimus ruber) is a species of ibis that
inhabits tropical
South America and also Trinidad and Tobago.
It is the national bird of
Trinidad and is featured on the Trinidad
and Tobago Coat of Arms along
with Tobago's
national bird
Rufous-vented Chachalaca.
Adults are 56-61 cm long and weigh 650g. They are
completely scarlet,
except for black wing-tips.
They nest in
trees, laying
two to four eggs.
Their diet includes crustaceans
and similar
small marine animals.
A juvenile
Scarlet Ibis is
grey/white in
colour; as it grows the ingestion of red crabs
in the tropical
swamps gradually produces the characteristic scarlet plumage.
Life span of Scarlet Ibis is approximately 15 years in the wild
and 20 years
in captivity.