The Wood Stork

It was a rather cold and rainy day for a vacation at the beach, but my family and I were making the most of it that we possibly could.  As we walked along in the park grounds just behind De Soto beach, one of us noticed a strange and most interesting looking bird. Its bald, almost ugly, head sat on top of a body covered in silky white feathers. Out from underneath those feathers stuck two long, spindly legs, designating it as a stork. As my brother Dublin and I took turns taking pictures of this Wood Stork, it slowly flapped its huge wings and flew away. Though we did not realize it at the time of the sighting, a ranger later informed us that we had seen a very rare and endangered bird.

            Despite its bald head, sparsely feathered neck, and large curved bill (which all makes for a shocking appearance), the Wood Stork can be very graceful when gliding, and sometimes soars on thermals for up to 80 miles going from nesting to feeding areas. They have a wingspan of 5 to 5 1\2 feet, and are 45 inches tall.

            Wood Storks are the only true storks in the United States. Yet, even these beautiful rarities were allowed to go to waste for many years. Due to increasing pollution and habitat destruction, their numbers decreased from 18,000 birds in the 1970’s to 10,000 in the 1980’s. There are only about 4,000-5,000 Wood Storks in southern Florida right now, and historically there were up to 20,000! They were placed on the endangered list in 1984.

            These birds are quite vulnerable when it comes to habitat loss because of their fishing methods. They need shallow water, salt or fresh, to catch their meals in. They stick their open bill in the water, and wait patiently for an unsuspecting fish to touch their bill. When this touch is felt, they snap their bill shut, in about one-fifth of a second. And there’s dinner! However, it’s not always that easy. The hunting grounds of the Wood Stork are drained away into the ocean, due to human water management. Then, where are they supposed to find food? And if there isn’t a large enough supply of food to feed everyone through the breeding season, they won’t breed. A pair of Wood Storks and their young eat over 400 pounds of food during the breeding season. Can you see why the numbers decrease so rapidly?

            The Wood Stork’s featherless head has earned him a number of nicknames; Flinthead, Ironhead, Gourdhead, Spanish Buzzard… uncomplimentary, perhaps? Some other names for him include Wood Ibis and Preacher, perhaps because of his dignified air.

            These big birds choose to breed in cypress, and sometimes mangrove, swamps, preferably on or near the coast. They nest in huge colonies, which can number up to 10,000 birds. However, since there has recently been such a loss of habitat and decline in numbers, the numbers are probably not quite so striking anymore. They lay two or three white eggs on a stick platform in the cypress trees, and there are usually several nests in each tree. Usually only two young survive from each nest.      

            They have no muscles attached to their voice box, and so they are usually very quiet, but occasionally they will make a dull croak or a snake-like hiss. The young make lots of clattering with their bills.

            From reading through these facts, you can see what fascinating birds Wood Storks are. I am so glad God made so many interesting creatures, even though sometimes we can’t see the beauty in their featherless heads!