The Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) is a hefty wetland bird, towering over all others at a mighty 3 feet tall. The "Wood" in its name refers to bird's favored nesting habitat in lowland wetlands of the Florida Everglades. North America's only breeding stork, it is facing threats from water management, drought, and invasive predators.
Characteristics[]
The Wood Stork is a football shaped bird perched atop long black legs extended in flight. Their neck is long, retracted when perched and extended when in flight. This extended neck is like that of the ibises, thus giving it the name "Wood Ibis". Adult storks have long, grey, thick, and curved at the tip, while juveniles have dull yellow beaks. All Wood Storks have a naked head and neck that is gray to black in color. Their bodies are white with the exception of black flight feathers and tail, giving rise to yet another nickname: "flinthead". Wood Storks measure 33.5-45.3 inches (85-115 cm) in length, weight 72.3-93.1 oz (2050-2640 g), and have a wingspan of 59.1-68.9 inches (150-175 cm).
Habitat and Distribution[]
Wood Storks establish nesting colonies in cypress swamps or mangroves but forage in shallow, muddy-bottomed banks or wetlands.
Behavior[]
Wood Storks mostly feed on fish such as minnows, killifish, mullet, but they will also feed on crayfish, crabs, aquatic insects, snakes, baby alligators, small turtles, frogs, rodents, seeds, and other plant material. Groups feed day and night by wading through water with open bills. When bill touches a prey item, they close on the unlucky creature in as little as 25 milliseconds. Birds will fly up to 12 miles from nesting colony while foraging. Wood Storks are good fliers, soaring up to 6,000 feet on warm air thermals and sometimes they perform rolls and dives in the air. When not soaring, storks fly with slow wingbeats. Though not truly migratory, juveniles fly north after breeding season.
Vocalizations[]
Young Wood Storks have noisy begging calls that are described to sound like a braying donkey. Adults are almost silent except for hisses, low croaking sounds, and the sound of snapping bills during courtship.
Nesting[]
Wood Storks are monogamous and mate for life. In Florida, breed in late winter dry season when fish prey are concentrated in sinking pools. In some years, they may not attempt to nest at all.
Wood Storks nest colonially - there can be up to 25 nests in one tree! They build their nests 10 to 15 feet up in mangroves and 80 feet or higher in cypresses. Nests are build well out in a horizontal limb. The males bring materials to the female, who builds the nest. The nest is a flimsy platform of sticks lined with twigs and leaves, and material may be added even after young hatch.
3-4 whitish eggs are laid per brood. The eggs are 2.4-2.9 inches (6.1-7.3 cm) in length and 1.3-2.2 inches (3.4-5.5 cm) wide. Incubation is done by both parents for 28-32 days. Nestlings are covered in fine down except on the head and are fed by both parents. During first 5 weeks of hatching, the parents guard their young as unprotected nests can be attacked by unmated storks. The young take short flights by 8 weeks, but return to be fed and sleep until 11 weeks old.
Conservation[]
There was once over 150,000 Wood Storks in the United States, but by the early 1990s, there was not much over 10,000 birds. Canals, irrigation, & other water control projects have altered the flow and path of water channeling into Everglades and severe droughts over the years give predators like raccoons easier access to stork nests. Pesticides and mercury in water and fish may poison Wood Storks, and invasive Burmese pythons introduce extra pressure in nesting season. As of now, the worldwide population of Wood Storks is 250,000 birds and 30,000 in the US. Recently, Wood Storks have expanded their breeding range to South Carolina.
Trivia[]
- To keep nestlings cool, Wood Stork parents regurgitate water over their nestlings.
- The oldest recorded Wood Stork was at least 22 years and 6 months old when it was identified by its band in Florida in 2016.
Citations[]
“Wildlife - Species.” SCDNR - Species: Wood Stork,
- www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/mrri/acechar/speciesgallery/Birds/WoodStork/index.html. Accessed 31 Dec. 2023.
“Wood Stork.” American Bird Conservancy, 17 Jan. 2019, abcbirds.org/bird/wood-stork-2/.
“Wood Stork.” Audubon, 8 Nov. 2023, www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/wood-stork.
“Wood Stork Identification, All about Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” , All About Birds, Cornell Lab of
- Ornithology, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Stork/id. Accessed 31 Dec. 2023.
“Wood Stork - Mycteria Americana - NatureWorks.” New Hampshire PBS,
- nhpbs.org/natureworks/woodstork.htm. Accessed 31 Dec. 2023.
“Wood Stork: National Geographic.” Animals, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/wood-
- stork. Accessed 31 Dec. 2023.