Wood Stork - Balancing Act

The Wood Stork, the only native stork in North America, is a very large, heavy-billed bird that wades in the shallows of southern swamps. Flies with slow wingbeats, and flocks often soar very high on warm days. Young Wood Storks have noisy begging calls, but adults are almost silent except for hissing and bill clappering.
Florida populations have declined as water management there has become a more difficult problem.

The Wood Stork is one of Florida’s signature most iconic wading birds, a long-legged, striking-looking bird on land that soars like a raptor in the air.
Wood Storks have suffered from the destruction and degradation of Florida's wetlands. Today, the Wood Stork is classified as “Threatened” by the State of Florida and the federal government.

The Wood Stork feeds in shallow water, stirring the bottom with its unlikely pink feet and snapping up small prey that are unlucky enough to encounter the bird’s sensitive bill. They nest in early spring, just in time for the traditional season of lowest water when prey items will be concentrated in shrunken wetlands, providing good hunting so the storks can feed their young.

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