The wood stork is a large wading bird found in wetlands across the southeastern United States, parts of Central and South America, and the Caribbean. As its name suggests, it prefers wooded and forested wetlands for nesting and foraging. The wood stork’s survival depends on having suitable wetland habitat for finding food.
The wood stork is the only stork species that breeds in North America. It stands around 3 feet tall and has a wingspan of up to 5 feet. Its plumage is mostly white with black accents on the wings and tail. The wood stork’s head and neck are nearly featherless and dark gray in color. This allows the bird to reach into water more easily when hunting for fish.
The wood stork is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Loss of wetland habitat is one of the main threats facing the species. Wood storks rely on shallow, calm waters where fish become concentrated and easy to catch. Certain wetland habitats provide optimal foraging conditions for these large wading birds.
Freshwater Marshes and Swamps
Freshwater marshes and swamps with shallow, open waters are ideal foraging habitats for wood storks. These wetlands have slow-moving or stagnant waters that allow small fish, frogs, and other prey to become concentrated. The open areas also give the wood stork room to maneuver and hunt.
In particular, wood storks favor coastal wetlands influenced by tides and inland wetlands with fluctuating water levels. As water levels rise and fall in these wetlands, fish become trapped in shallow pools and are easier for wood storks to catch. The tapering bills of wood storks are specialized for tactile feeding – catching prey by feel in murky waters.
Cypress Strands and Sloughs
Within freshwater marshes and swamps, wood storks often forage in shallow, linear wetlands known as cypress strands and sloughs. Cypress strands are forested wetlands dominated by bald cypress trees. Sloughs are narrow channels that hold standing or slow-moving water.
Both types of wetlands provide ideal foraging conditions, with shallow water and high prey concentrations. The trees in cypress strands give wood storks perching sites overlooking the water. The narrow linear shape of strands and sloughs further concentrates fish and amphibians as water levels fluctuate.
Flooded Forests
Seasonally flooded bottomland forests also provide good foraging habitat for wood storks. These forests typically flood in the wet season, creating shallow water pools amid the trees. Fish and other aquatic creatures take refuge in the flooded woods, giving wood storks ample prey. The trees serve as perches for the storks within the temporary wetlands.
Bottomland hardwood forests along rivers and streams are prime foraging spots when seasonal flooding occurs. The storks are able to walk and hunt in the shallow waters among the trees.
Shallow Wetlands with Variable Water Levels
In general, wood storks favor shallow wetlands where water levels rise and fall periodically throughout the seasons. These conditions concentrate prey while still giving the storks open water areas for foraging. Wetlands with fluctuating water levels tend to be highly productive in terms of prey abundance.
Seasonal Wetlands
Wetlands that dry out partially or completely during the dry season provide optimal habitat when water returns in the wet season. As the water recedes, fish and amphibians become trapped in small pools. When the rains return, the temporary pools refill, allowing the wood storks easy access to concentrated prey.
Managed Impoundments
Some wetlands are managed artificially with levees, pumps and water control structures. These impoundments can mimic the seasonal water fluctuations that wood storks prefer. By carefully managing water levels, managers can time drawdowns to provide quality foraging opportunities for wood storks.
Flooded Agricultural Fields
Flooded agricultural fields like rice paddies or flooded pastures offer additional shallow, prey-rich foraging habitat. Wood storks will take advantage of these temporary wetlands when available. The flooding concentrates fish and amphibians in the fields, giving wood storks productive feeding grounds.
Habitat Threats and Conservation
Unfortunately, many of the wetland habitats favored by wood storks have declined significantly in extent. Freshwater wetland losses have reached over 50% in some areas of the southeastern U.S. This habitat loss threatens the wood stork’s recovery.
To protect wood stork foraging habitat, conservation groups promote wetland preservation and restoration. Creating new seasonal wetlands and managing water levels in existing wetlands are key strategies. Flooding agricultural fields at strategic times of the year also provides habitat.
Protecting remaining cypress strands, sloughs, marshlands, and swamplands is crucial for preserving wood stork foraging sites. With wise wetland management, adequate foraging habitat can be maintained and enhanced to support wood stork populations.
Conclusion
The wood stork is specialized for feeding in shallow, open wetlands with concentrations of fish and other prey. Freshwater marshes, cypress strands, seasonally flooded forests, and wetlands with fluctuating water levels provide ideal foraging habitat. Loss of these important wetlands has contributed to the wood stork’s threatened status.
Protecting and restoring key shallow-water wetland habitats across the wood stork’s range is vital for the species’ recovery. Artificial wetlands like flooded agricultural fields and managed impoundments also play a role. By maintaining high quality foraging grounds, land managers and conservationists can help ensure the future survival of the unique wood stork.