The scarlet ibis belongs to the same order as the stork and to the same the sub-family as the spoonbill. The scarlet ibis has a very prominent bill that is adapted to searching for food in water and mud.
The scarlet ibis’s bright red feathers, legs and bill make it a very conspicuous bird. Juveniles have a brown coat of feathers. When they replace their feathers, the colour changes to red. This is caused by the crayfish they eat, which dye the new coat of feathers via the digestive tract and bloodstream.