The Story
I photographed this Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. 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. Its scarlet color comes from a heavy diet of red crustaceans. La Palmita is a civil-society nature reserve in Trinidad that protects about 400 hectares of flooded savanna and 250 hectares of forest. 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 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 125. La Palmita’s research center also monitors the savanna’s birds and mammals and rehabilitates and releases wildlife rescued from illegal trafficking.
©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