Caribbean Flamingos and White Ibis
The Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), also called the American flamingo, is the most brightly colored and largest of all flamingos. With their bright feathers and strongly hooked bills, flamingos are among the most easily recognized waterbirds. Their pink or reddish color comes from the rich sources of carotenoid pigments (like the pigments of carrots) in the algae and small crustaceans that the birds eat. The Caribbean flamingos are the brightest, showing their true colors of red, pink, or orange on their legs, bills, and faces. They are a scarlet pink color overall and have black primary feathers. Their bill is downward bending at its midpoint. They have large bodies and flexible long necks topped with a small head. The flamingo's long legs and feet are bare, and their toes are webbed, which is good for wading. Young birds are mostly grey and do not develop their characteristic pink until after the first year. The sexes are similar in appearance.The White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) is one of the most numerous wading birds in Florida and is common elsewhere in the southeast. The White Ibis is highly sociable at all seasons, roosting and feeding in flocks, and nesting in large colonies. Immature White Ibis are dark brownish with a white belly, white rump, and curved red bill. The White Ibis is an excellent example of the colonial waterbird. These birds nest in huge colonies in fresh water marshes or along the ocean coast. Researchers have counted 60,000-80,000 individuals in one colony in the Everglades National Park, Florida. During the day, White Ibis may fly up to 15 miles or more to find small crustaceans, fish, frogs, and aquatic insects to eat and to feed their young. When breeding, the bill, face, and legs turn scarlet. White Ibis can be found along the coast of North Carolina to Florida and Texas.