Storks are large wading birds that are most commonly associated with delivering babies thanks to European folklore. While storks do not actually deliver human infants, they are unique and fascinating birds that can be found living in various parts of the United States.
Quick Facts About Storks in the US
There are two main species of stork that live in the US:
- Wood Storks
- White Storks
Wood storks are the only stork species that breed in the United States. They live predominantly in the southeastern states. White storks are rare visitors that sometimes migrate through the United States but do not breed here.
Storks live near water sources like wetlands, swamps, ponds, and marshy areas where they forage for fish, frogs, small reptiles, and invertebrates. They nest in tall trees and lay 3-5 eggs per clutch.
Storks are large, long-legged wading birds. Wood storks have a blackish colored plumage while white storks are bright white with black wing feathers. Storks are monogamous and mate for life.
The wood stork is listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Habitat loss is the main threat facing this species in the US.
Detailed Information on Wood Storks
The wood stork (Mycteria americana) is the only stork species that currently breeds in the United States. This large white and black-plumed waterbird reaches heights of 35 to 47 inches with a wingspan of 60 to 65 inches. Their plumage is mostly white with black flight and tail feathers. Their heads and necks are bald and dark gray in color.
Wood storks live in wetland areas across the southeastern United States including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. They are resident year-round in Florida and coastal areas of the Gulf states. Further inland, wood storks may migrate after breeding season and return each spring.
Wood Stork Habitat
Wood storks rely on wetlands for nesting, roosting, and foraging. They utilize freshwater and estuarine wetlands including marshes, ponds, flooded pastures or fields, and swamps dominated by bald cypress or mangroves. Good wood stork habitat has shallow, calm waters with high amounts of prey fish and aquatic invertebrates. They avoid areas with highly fluctuating water levels.
Nesting habitat consists of medium to tall trees (20 to 60 ft) that occur in or near wetlands. Cypress trees, mangroves, and pines provide ideal nesting sites. Nest colonies are usually found over water or on islands for predator protection.
Wood Stork Diet
Wood storks are tactile feeders, meaning they grope for food in the water using their bill. They mainly eat fish such as sunfish, catfish, mullet, shad, and minnows. They also consume insects, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and crustaceans.
Wood storks forage while wading through shallow wetlands with their bills partially submerged. They snap up prey by feel when contact is made. Sometimes they shuffle their feet to stir prey up from bottom sediments.
| Prey Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Fish | Various small fish found in shallow, calm wetlands |
| Insects | Aquatic insects and larvae |
| Amphibians | Frogs, toads, salamanders |
| Reptiles | Small snakes, lizards, turtles |
| Mammals | Voles, shrews, moles, muskrats |
| Crustaceans | Crayfish, crabs, shrimp |
When prey is plentiful, wood storks will gorge themselves and their throat pouches will bulge with food to transport back to their nests to feed young.
Wood Stork Breeding and Nesting
Wood storks breed in colonies that can range from a dozen to over 10,000 nesting pairs. Nesting season takes place from February to May. Both male and female wood storks build the nests out of sticks, reeds, and vegetation. Nest sites are usually over water or on islands.
Females lay a clutch of 3 to 5 eggs which hatch after an incubation period of 28 to 32 days. Wood stork chicks can’t hunt on their own until they are about 2 months old and are fed by both parents who regurgitate food. Young fledge from the nest at 55 to 60 days old.
Wood Stork Status and Threats
Wood storks were listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1984. After successful conservation efforts their status was downgraded to threatened in 2014. However, habitat loss remains the biggest threat.
Wetland drainage for development and agriculture destroys the wetlands wood storks rely on. Hydrological changes and drought can degrade habitat. Poor water quality from pollution impacts prey. Human disturbance can cause nest abandonment.
Conservation efforts focus on protecting wetlands and nest sites. Artificial wetland impoundments help provide habitat. Public education helps reduce disturbance to nesting colonies.
White Storks in the United States
White storks (Ciconia ciconia) are an old world stork species that do not breed in the wild in North America. However, these large, all-white birds with black wing feathers are sometimes observed in parts of the United States, particularly Florida and Texas.
Most white stork sightings in the US involve wayward migrants that ended up off course during their seasonal movements between Europe and Africa. Some have even been spotted as far inland as Idaho and Minnesota.
White Stork Identification
White storks are unmistakable birds when seen up close. As their name implies, they have pure white plumage covering their entire body except for black feathers on their wings and wingtips. Their bright red bill and legs are also distinctive features.
These large storks reach heights of 33 to 43 inches with wingspans around 6 feet. Their white feathers gleam in the sun when seen flying overhead.
Habits of White Storks
In their native range, white storks inhabit wet meadows, farmlands, marshes, and grasslands. They often nest on man-made structures like electrical poles, rooftops, and towers.
White storks are carnivores that eat a diet of small animals including rodents, lizards, amphibians, small birds, fish, and insects. They forage by walking slowly and deliberately through shallow water or wet grasslands stabbing their prey with their long bills.
Breeding pairs build large nests out of sticks, grasses, and other vegetation. Nests are often reused and added to each year. Females lay between 3 to 5 eggs. Both parents share incubation duties and feed the young after hatching by regurgitating food.
Migration of White Storks
White storks that breed in Europe migrate long distances to wintering grounds in Africa each year. Their migration can cover thousands of miles as they fly south through the Levant and down the eastern side of Africa.
Some white storks have gone off route during these epic migratory journeys and ended up in North America. Every few years, individuals or small flocks are spotted in the United States, particularly in southern states. These vagrants may refuel for some time before finding their way back to their normal migration route.
Notable Stork Colonies in the United States
While wood storks nest in scattered colonies across the southeastern US, a few notable breeding sites stand out due to their size and importance:
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Florida
Located near Naples, Florida, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary provides critical nesting and foraging habitat for wood storks. The protected wetlands harbor one of the largest wood stork colonies in North America with over 10,000 nesting pairs.
Harris Neck, Georgia
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect nesting wood storks and other waterbirds. Around 2,500 wood stork nests have been recorded here, making it Georgia’s largest colony.
Four Holes Swamp, South Carolina
Four Holes Swamp in the Francis Marion National Forest contains a massive rookery averaging 5,000 wood stork nests per year, although over 10,000 nests have been recorded during peak years.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Louisiana
Located on the Mississippi River delta, Delta National Wildlife Refuge provides important foraging and nesting habitat for wood storks in Louisiana. An average of 2,000 wood stork nests are built here annually.
Conclusion
While the folklore of storks delivering human babies is just a myth, these fascinating birds do play an important ecological role in wetland habitats across the southeastern United States. Only the wood stork breeds in North America, forming large nesting colonies in swamps and marshes from Florida to Louisiana.
White storks do not nest in the US, but vagrant individuals and small flocks are sometimes spotted here during migration between Europe and Africa. Protecting wetlands is crucial for maintaining healthy stork populations. So while they may not deliver our babies, wood storks remain icons of wilderness intrinsically linked to the health of southern swamps and marshes.
