Wood Stork
Mycteria americana
The Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) is a common stork found in 29 countries, weighing about 2.6 kg. The wood stork is a large wading bird in the family Ciconiidae (storks).
About the Wood Stork
The wood stork is a large wading bird in the family Ciconiidae (storks). Originally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, this stork is native to the subtropics and tropics of the Americas where it persists in habitats with fluctuating water levels. It is the only stork species that breeds in North America. The head and neck are bare of feathers, and dark grey in colour. The plumage is mostly white, with the exception of the tail and some of the wing feathers, which are black with a greenish-purplish sheen.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adult wood stork is a large bird which stands 83 to 115 cm (33–45 in) tall with a wingspan of 140 to 180 cm (55–71 in). The male typically weighs 2.5 to 3.3 kg (5.5–7.3 lb), with a mean weight of 2.7 kg (6.0 lb); the female weighs 2.0 to 2.8 kg (4.4–6.2 lb), with a mean weight of 2.42 kg (5.3 lb). Another estimate puts the mean weight at 2.64 kg (5.8 lb). The head and neck of the adult are bare, and the scaly skin is a dark grey. The black downward-curved bill is long and very wide at the base.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada, Chile, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, France.
When to see it
The Wood Stork can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Wood Stork?
- The adult wood stork is a large bird which stands 83 to 115 cm (33–45 in) tall with a wingspan of 140 to 180 cm (55–71 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Wood Stork?
- The Wood Stork is a huge sized bird weighing about 2.6 kg.
- Where can you see a Wood Stork?
- The Wood Stork occurs in 29 countries, including the United States, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil and Belize.
- What birds look similar to a Wood Stork?
- The Wood Stork is most easily confused with the Painted Stork, the Yellow-billed Stork and the Milky Stork.
- Is the Wood Stork endangered?
- The Wood Stork is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Wood Stork for real
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