🔍 Western Cattle-Egret | Ardea ibis 🕊️
📍 Seen in Alajuela, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
💬 In Trinidad and Tobago, this bird is a national symbol and is featured on the country ´s coat of arms. They eat grasshoppers, crickets, flies, ticks, and other insects stirred up by large animals — which makes them surprisingly helpful to farmers and livestock.
Also Known as:
Scarlet Ibis, Red Ibis, Guara Rubra
Size:
Length: ~55 – 63 cm
Weight: 0.9 – 1.5 kg
Wingspan: ~54 – 60 cm
Coloration:
Adults are brilliant scarlet-red all over, with reddish-orange bill and legs; juveniles are grey or white and gradually turn red with a carotenoid-rich diet.
Life Span
In the Wild: 10 – 16 years
In Captivity: 20 years
The Cam Traveler 