Page 16 - Gateways_Fall 2023 flipbuilder_Neat

THE SWAMP Continued

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Birds are the first animals you will encounter in The Swamp.
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Wetlands are especially important to birds. They provide
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plenty of food—insects, fish, crustaceans, and small reptiles
p l e n t y o f f o o d — i n s e c t s , f i s h , c r u s t ace a n s , a n d s m a l l r e p t i l e s
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and amphibians. Birds perch, build nests, and raise their r
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young in trees. Migrating birds stop over in wetlands
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to rest and feed. In turn, the birds, their eggs, and their r
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hatchlings provide food for other species.
h a t c h l i n g s p r o v i d e f o o d f o r ot h e r s p e c i e s .
SCARLET IBIS
Eudocimus ruber
Fascinating Fact: The scarlet coloring of its feathers comes from a
diet of algae and small crustaceans that contain red pigments called
carotenoids. At Brookfield Zoo, the birds receive pellets that contain
carotenoids.
The scarlet ibis is native to northern South America and is the
national bird of Trinidad and Tobago. Its long, thin, downwardly
curving bill specializes in probing for food in mud, stream beds,
and murky water where prey is not visible to the eye. Its secret
weapon are the mechanoreceptors, extremely sensitive touch sensors
on the tip of its bill that can detect the tiniest movements of prey.
Both the scarlet and white ibis are social birds that roost
together with other large wading birds. The white ibis is native
to the coastal wetlands of the Southeastern United States.
The ibis is not an endangered species, according to the
International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List
of Threatened Species, which is the world’s most comprehensive
inventory of the status of species of plants, animals, and fungi.
However, researchers believe continued destruction of its habitat
will reduce its numbers.
WHITE IBIS
Eudocimus albus
16 GATEWAYS | THE SWAMP