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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
scarlet ibis |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Ciconiiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Threskiornithidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Eudocimus (famous) ruber (red) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Solid scarlet except for black wing tips; bill is
thin and curved downward; neck is long and slender;
legs are also long and thin with slightly webbed
feet; juveniles are dull, grayish brown |
| MALE |
text |
| FEMALE |
text |
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| SIZE: |
75 cm (30 in.); wingspan 30 cm (1 ft.) |
| MALE |
text |
| FEMALE |
text |
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| WEIGHT: |
1.35 kg (3 lb.) |
| MALE |
text |
| FEMALE |
text |
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| DIET: |
Crustaceans, mollusks, fish, insects, frogs, and
small snakes |
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| INCUBATION: |
19-23 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
3-5 eggs |
| FLEDGING
DURATION |
39-45 days |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
4-5 years |
| MALE |
text |
| FEMALE |
text |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Up to 20 years |
| MALE |
text |
| FEMALE |
text |
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| RANGE: |
Northern South America, Venezuela to eastern Brazil
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| HABITAT: |
Mud flats, estuaries, shorelines, and shallow bays
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
text |
| LOCAL |
text |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
text |
| CITES |
Appendix III |
| USFWS |
Not listed |
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| 1. |
They
have curved, slender bills that they use to probe
into shallow water, mud or grass when foraging. |
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| 2. |
As with flamingos, the brilliant red color of the
bird comes from carotene found in crustaceans on
which it feeds. |
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| 3. |
It is a gregarious bird, living, traveling, and
breeding in flocks. In flight, they form diagonal
lines or v-formations. This formation decreases
wind resistance for trailing birds. When the leader
of the pack tires, it falls to the back of the formation
and another ibis takes its place at the front. |
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| 4. |
Ibis'
are rather quiet birds, only grunting or croaking
on breeding grounds. |
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| 5. |
Both
the male and female take turns in guarding the nest
site until the chicks are large enough to defend
themselves. In addition, both parents help feed
the chicks. |
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| 6. |
Ibises
are an ancient species with fossil records going
back 60 million years. |
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| 7. |
The
scarlet ibis is the national bird of Trinidad and
Tobago. |
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Habitat destruction, poaching, and insecticide
use such as DDT have all caused the decline of
several ibis species.
These
birds are not only scavengers, seen around rubbish
dumps or sewage works, but they also move around
croplands helping egrets and others to rid the
area of insect pests. Its adaptability to any
of several food sources ensures its success as
a species.
Because
of their role in helping to control crop pests,
they are very valuable to farmers. However, agricultural
pesticide usage has endangered the birds in several
locations.
Occasionally,
these birds are hunted for food. Their appealing
taste is perhaps due to their preference for crabs
and other crustaceans.
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| Gotch,
A.F. Birds - Their Latin Names Explained.
Poole, Dorst: Blandford Press, 1981. |
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Perrins, Dr. Christopher. Birds: Their Life,
Their Ways, Their World. New York: The Reader's
Digest Association, Inc., 1979. |
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http://www.serc.si.edu/sms/IRLSpec/Eudoc_albus.htm
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| http://fs.broward.cc.fl.us/~ssimpson/medford.html |
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