Zoology of the ZooPl. CLXXIV
Wood stork
Mycteria americana
Aves · Ciconiiformes · Ciconiidae
Fig. 1. Wood stork
Fig. 2. Range
| Length or height | About 83-115 cm long |
|---|---|
| Weight | About 2-3.3 kg |
| Food | Fish caught by touch |
| Lifespan | About 10-20 years (est.) |
| Society | Colonies |
| Habitat | wetland |
| Range | North America, South America |
| Wild or tame | Wild |
The only stork that breeds in the United States. It feeds by touch, snapping its bill shut in a fraction of a second when a fish brushes it, so it needs water that falls in the dry season to crowd fish together. A bellwether of Everglades water flows.
Observe: Watch it shuffle its feet to stir fish toward the open bill.