Scarlet ibis
Classification | Habitat | Diet |
Ciconiiformes > Plataleinae | Rainforests, wetlands, savannas, and lakes | Berries, insects, frogs, crustaceans, fish, etc. |
The red plumage of the scarlet ibis
becomes more vibrant with age.
Their feathers are red because of a pigment called astaxin,
which comes from the crustaceans they eat.
Newborn birds are hairless, gradually turning brown
and then red like their parents as they grow older.
Their bill is long, thin, and curved downward.
They use it to find food by poking it into soft mud or shallow water.