The Habitat of Wood Storks
Wood storks are the only storks that are native to North America. They are large, mostly white birds with black tails and bald, black heads and necks. They have been endangered since 1984. Learning more about the habitat that the wood stork requires may aid understanding of the current condition and needs of this bird.
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Features
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Wood storks live in wetlands. They may be found in or near ponds, marshes and swamps, and they typically wander along the shallow water's edges looking for fish. The water must be clear enough for the wood stork to see its prey. Wood storks build their nests in the tops of tall trees, and they tend to live communally, with several families of wood storks sharing a territory. This can create a strong need for a habitat that has plenty of food for all the animals.
Reproduction
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Wood storks tend to reproduce during the dry summer months, when the lakes and ponds dry out and grow smaller. This makes it easier for the stork to find food. According to the Pelotes Island Nature Preserve, a pair of wood storks needs more than 400 pounds of fish to keep themselves and their young fed for a single breeding season.
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Geography
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Wood storks are found primarily in South America and Central America, but there are breeding populations in southern California, along the Gulf Coast and in Florida. In South America and Central America, they may be found from Mexico to Argentina. According to National Geographic, the population of wood storks in South America and Central America are higher because optimal habitats are more widely available.
Feeding
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The wood stork requires a habitat capable of providing its diet. While the wood stork's food consists mostly of small fish, it is an opportunistic carnivore and will also eat tadpoles and crayfish. The wood stork opens its bill and sticks the tip underwater as it wades along the water's edge. When it detects a fish, it snaps its bill shut very quickly, trapping its prey.
Threats
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The two greatest dangers to wood storks are pollution and the destruction of their natural habitat. The wetlands that they require to survive are being developed at an increasing rate, and pollution is reducing the amount of fish available to them.
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References
- Photo Credit Wood stork image by Jill Ludbrook from Fotolia.com
