ibis

Any of various wading birds, about 60 cm/2 ft tall, belonging to the same family as spoonbills. Ibises have long legs and necks, and long, downward-curved beaks, rather blunt at the end; the upper part is grooved. Their plumage is generally black and white. Various species occur in the warmer regions of the world. (Family Threskiornidae, order Ciconiiformes.)

The scarlet ibis (Guara ruber), a South American species, is brilliant scarlet with a few black patches. The scarlet colour is caused by an accumulation of pigment from the aquatic invertebrates that it feeds on.