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Animal Guide

Scarlet Ibis

65 destinations · 32 states

Native Range
Northern South America and the Caribbean

The scarlet ibis is hard to miss when a flock gathers in shallow water, where its vivid red feathers stand out against mudflats and green vegetation. The color becomes richer as the birds mature, with adults developing their brilliant scarlet plumage from pigments in their diet. Watch one feeding and you'll see a very different side of the bird. It wades through shallow water with its long legs, sweeping its long, curved bill through mud and water to find crabs, worms, insects, and other small prey. Flocks often move together, with birds probing the same stretch of wet ground before suddenly lifting off in a burst of red wings. Young scarlet ibises start out with much duller gray-brown plumage, so seeing different ages together can make the color change easier to appreciate. They often gather in large groups to roost and nest, creating plenty of activity around wetlands. At a zoo or wildlife destination, a quiet ibis feeding at the water's edge can quickly turn into part of a much larger flock.

Scarlet Ibis

Where to see Scarlet Ibis

65 destinations across 32 states

65 destinations

Abilene Zoo

Abilene, TX

ABQ BioPark Zoo

Albuquerque, NM

Alexandria Zoological Park

Alexandria, LA

Bergen County Zoo

Paramus, NJ

Blank Park Zoo

Des Moines, IA

Bramble Park Zoo

Watertown, SD

Brandywine Zoo

Wilmington, DE

Brevard Zoo

Melbourne, FL

Bronx Zoo

Bronx, NY

Brookfield Zoo

Riverside, IL

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Tampa, FL

Caldwell Zoo

Tyler, TX

Cameron Park Zoo

Waco, TX

Central Park Zoo

New York, NY

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Cincinnati, OH

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Cleveland, OH

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

Bridgeport, CT

Detroit Zoo

Royal Oak, MI

Dickerson Park Zoo

Springfield, MO

Discovery Cove

Orlando, FL

El Paso Zoo

El Paso, TX

Elmwood Park Zoo

Norristown, PA

Fort Worth Zoo

Fort Worth, TX

Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Fresno, CA

Georgia Aquarium

Atlanta, GA

Gladys Porter Zoo

Brownsville, TX

Gulf Breeze Zoo

Gulf Breeze, FL

Honolulu Zoo

Honolulu, HI

Houston Zoo

Houston, TX

Jacksonville Zoo & Botanical Gardens

Jacksonville, FL

Jungle Island

Miami, FL

Lee Richardson Zoo

Garden City, KS

Lincoln Children's Zoo

Lincoln, NE

Lincoln Park Zoo

Chicago, IL

Los Angeles Zoo

Los Angeles, CA

Mesker Park Zoo

Evansville, IN

Miller Park Zoo

Bloomington, IL

Mississippi Aquarium

Gulfport, MS

Montgomery Zoo

Montgomery, AL

Moody Gardens

Galveston, TX

National Aquarium

Baltimore, MD

National Aviary

Pittsburgh, PA

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

Omaha, NE

Phoenix Zoo

Phoenix, AZ

Prospect Park Zoo

Brooklyn, NY

Reid Park Zoo

Tucson, AZ

Roger Williams Park Zoo

Providence, RI

Safari West

Santa Rosa, CA

San Antonio Zoo

San Antonio, TX

Santa Ana Zoo

Santa Ana, CA

Santa Barbara Zoo

Santa Barbara, CA

Sequoia Park Zoo

Eureka, CA

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Washington, DC

Stone Zoo

Stoneham, MA

Sylvan Heights Bird Park

Scotland Neck, NC

Texas State Aquarium

Corpus Christi, TX

The Buffalo Zoo

Buffalo, NY

The Dallas World Aquarium

Dallas, TX

Topeka Zoo

Topeka, KS

Tracy Aviary at Liberty Park

Salt Lake City, UT

Tulsa Zoo

Tulsa, OK

Wild Adventures

Valdosta, GA

Wildlife World Zoo

Litchfield Park, AZ

Wildwood Wildlife Park Zoo & Safari

Minocqua, WI

ZooTampa at Lowry Park

Tampa, FL

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