The Story
I photographed this Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. 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. Juveniles are a mix of gray, brown and white, and the color change begins around the time they start to fly. It spends most of its time on foot or wading, but it is a strong flyer and moves in V-shaped flocks. La Palmita’s research center has recorded 250 bird species and 39 bat species in the flooded savannas of Trinidad. 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 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100. 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