Measuring up to 30 inches in length, flocks of these birds with the backdrop of a clear blue sky makes for a surreal and breathtaking sight. Adults are entirely vivid pink or red with red legs, and a typical ibis-like long, downcurved bill. The wingtips are black. Juveniles and immatures are grayish or brown. The bright coloration comes from their shellfish diet. Birds in captivity are often less vivid in coloration.
In the wild, the Scarlet Ibis is a social bird, traveling or roosting in large or medium-sized flocks. Ibises fly in v-formations (similar to geese) which decreases wind resistance for trailing birds. In this formation, individual birds take turns in leading the flock. The Scarlet Ibis is the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago.
Because the Scarlet Ibis nests in impenetrable stands of mangroves in swamps and lagoons, their reproductive habits are poorly known. Both males and females build the bulky nest, usually placed in the middle heights of thick mangroves. The female lays two or three eggs which are incubated for a little more than three weeks. Ibis chicks are fed by the parents, who regurgitate food into the mouths of the chicks.