On the present breeding status of the scarlet ibis Eudocimus ruber along the north-eastern coast of South America

During 1970–72 aerial surveys were made along the coasts of the Guianas, South America, and a reliable assessment of the present breeding status of the scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber (L.)) along these coasts was obtained. During this period seven scarlet ibis breeding colonies were active simultaneously, with a total number of about 20,000 breeding pairs, over half in Surinam.From correspondence with other ornithologists, it appears that little is known about the present breeding status in Columbia, in the Venezuelan llanos, and along the coast of eastern Brazil.It is argued that in the future adequate guarding of the breeding areas (and possibly also of the feeding areas) would be necessary to ensure the conservation of the species.