The Story
This Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) was at Reserva Natural El Encanto de Guanapalo in Casanare, Colombia when I photographed it. The Scarlet Ibis spends most of its time on foot or wading, but it is a strong flyer and moves in V-shaped flocks. Native flocks live in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela, and on Trinidad and Tobago. El Encanto de Guanapalo brings together three ranches, Mata de Palma, Altamira and Montana, in a reserve of almost 9,000 hectares of flooded savanna and gallery forest in San Luis de Palenque. IUCN lists the Scarlet Ibis as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100. The families who run its ranches work to keep the savanna from being cleared, burned or plowed, and to keep llanero culture alive for the next generation.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) belongs to the family Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List
