Details
Mycteria americana
The wood stork is a large wetland stork of the Americas. A bare dark head and heavy downcurved bill suit its tactile search for fish in shallow water.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses marshes, swamps, floodplains, mangroves, and shallow ponds from southern Nearctic areas into the Neotropics. Feeding is best where falling water concentrates fish.
Length is 83-115 cm and weight 2-3.3 kg. It has a white body, black flight feathers, a dark bare head, long dark legs, and a thick downcurved bill.
Diurnal and colonial, it walks slowly through shallows. The bill is held open and snaps shut instantly when prey touches it.
A carnivore, it feeds mainly on fish, with frogs, crustaceans, and aquatic insects also taken. Tactile feeding works well in muddy water.
Colonies nest in trees over or near water. Parents feed chicks by regurgitation, and seasonal water levels strongly influence breeding success.
It is listed as Least Concern. The species depends on broad wetland hydrology, so drainage and altered water management can affect nesting and feeding areas.
