Photo: Googie man (talk) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Wood Stork
Mycteria americana
Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) — Storks of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) is a member of the Ciconiidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 2.6 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Ciconiiformes
- Family Ciconiidae Storks
- Genus Mycteria
- Species americana
Where it lives
Southeastern USA to northern Argentina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 2.6 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Ciconiidae
- Order
- Ciconiiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look alike (white body with glossy black flight feathers and tail, and a bare, dark-grey scaly head and neck); males average slightly larger.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles have a feathered greyish head and neck and a dull yellowish bill, instead of the adult's bare dark head and black bill.
Breeding vs non-breeding
At the onset of breeding, adults develop pinkish feathers under the wings and fluffy undertail feathers, and the feet turn pink (fading to grey when not breeding).
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Wood Stork hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Wood Stork is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) is a member of the Ciconiidae family, within the order Ciconiiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA se USA to n Argentina.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 2.6 kg, with a wing length of about 45.6 cm and a tail of around 19.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 14.6 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Wood Stork?
The Wood Stork is a very large bird that weighs around 2.6 kg.
Where does the Wood Stork live?
The Wood Stork is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA se USA to n Argentina, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Wood Stork belong to?
The Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) belongs to the Ciconiidae family, in the order Ciconiiformes.
What does the Wood Stork eat?
The Wood Stork hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Wood Stork migrate?
The Wood Stork is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Wood Stork endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Wood Stork make?
1 real field recording of the Wood Stork — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Wood Stork's range?
The Wood Stork has a mapped global range of about 14.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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