The scarlet ibis was declared Trinidad’s national bird in 1962. It’s since been illegal to hunt the birds, but poachers still go after their meat for traditional dishes.

Afternoon in Caroni Swamp finds fanny-pack-clad, zoom-lens-toting tourists squeezed into pirogues motoring through the wetlands to catch a glimpse of the scarlet ibis, Trinidad’s national bird ...

The Caroni was created in 1953 specifically to protect the scarlet ibis. We all were eagerly anticipating the promised highlight: the daily descent of scarlet ibises into their nightly roosts.