Roseate spoonbill in the everglades

spotted @eco pond near Flamingo, FLA
Video Rating: 0 / 5

The Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and islands of the Caribbean. In form it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its remarkably brilliant scarlet coloration makes it unmistakable. This medium-sized wader is a hardy, numerous, and prolific bird, and it enjoys protected status among humans. Its IUCN status is "least concern". The legitimacy of Eudocimus ruber as a biological classification, however, is in dispute. Traditional Linnaean taxonomy classifies it as a unique species, but an increasing number of scientists have moved to reclassify it as a subspecies of a more general American ibis species, along with its close relative Eudocimus albus. Breeding Mating pairs build nests in a simple style, typically "loose platforms of sticks"[10] of a quality sometimes described as "artless."[19] They roost in leaf canopies, mostly preferring the convenient shelter of young waterside mangrove trees.[20] To attract a female, the males will perform a variety of mating rituals such as "preening, shaking, bill popping, head rubbing, and high flights."[8] As with most birds, mating does not involve any coupling or insertion: instead, a transfer of seminal fluids occurs during external contact between the cloacal openings.[21] After a gestation period of five to six days,[8] the female lays a clutch of three to five smooth, matte eggs which typically incubate for ...
Video Rating: 5 / 5