Wood storks (Mycteria americana) are a sight to behold: the only storks native to North America, they stand about four feet tall and have such tenaciously ugly bald heads that they horseshoe back around to being cute. More remarkable than their imposing appearance, however, is their incredible conservation success story.
Above: Wood stork photographed as part of National Geographic’s Photo Ark project. Image courtesy of Joel Sartore.
Federally Endangered Status
Wood storks were once widespread in the southeastern United States, with an estimated 20,000 breeding pairs in the 1930s. Unfortunately, the destruction and degradation of their wetland habitats—particularly the Florida Everglades, their primary nesting area at the time —led to a precipitous decline. By 1984, merely 6,040 breeding pairs of wood storks remained in the U.S., marking a more than 50% decrease in just 50 years. Though not yet a cause for global concern due to stable populations in South America, the breeding populations residing in North America were on track to disappear rapidly. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) took action, listing wood storks as a federally endangered species in 1984. Conservation efforts began in earnest at both the state and federal levels.
Conservation Concerns
The cause of the wood stork population decline was the loss of suitable habitat due to human activity. These birds are highly dependent on wetlands for both hunting and breeding. Wood storks have a unique approach to catching prey. They wade in waters 4-12 inches deep, using their feet to stir up fish and crustaceans. They use tactolocation to catch their meals, snapping their beaks shut in 1/40th of a second when they sense something bump into them. Without wetland habitats with appropriate prey and adequately low water levels, wood storks go hungry.
Above: Wood stork hunting using tactolocation. Image courtesy of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.
Above: Wood stork nest with chicks. Image courtesy of Sandhills Sentinel.
Wetlands are also crucial for wood storks to breed. They nest in colonies in wetland habitats with specific conditions. The storks require standing water, ideally populated by alligators, below the trees in which they nest, to deter their main egg and chick predator: raccoons.
Given the importance of wetlands for the wood stork life cycle, it's no surprise that their decline went hand in hand with the decline of wetland ecosystems. Before their numbers dwindled, approximately 70% of wood storks resided in the Everglades. Degradation of this ecosystem due to human interferences, such as wetland destruction and water use changes, rendered much of the habitat unsuitable. By the time wood storks were officially recognized as endangered, their populations had already begun dispersing north of their contracting habitat in South Florida in search of replacement habitats such as coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
Downlisting to Threatened Status
In 2014, the USFWS downlisted the wood stork from endangered to threatened status. Conservation efforts to preserve and rebuild their wetland habitats and monitor water level and quality led to population improvements. Additionally, researchers carefully monitored the number of breeding wood stork pairs and nesting success rates.
Above: Wood stork in flight, displaying their characteristic soaring flight pattern. Image courtesy of Lydia Cox (Trinity ’25).
Proposal to Delist
As of February 2023, the USFWS has proposed removing wood storks fully from the endangered species list. This proposal is based on an analysis of the wood stork recovery plan, which has shown that the species has successfully achieved five consecutive years of over 10,000 breeding pairs, and three of four breeding regions have averaged at least 1.5 chicks per nest for five consecutive years. Despite these successes indicating the stability of wood stork populations overall, the USFWS notes that populations in South Florida have not yet met adequate recovery metrics. While wood storks have found success in their new expanded range, their original habitat in the Everglades and surrounding areas continues to face serious challenges. Nonetheless, wood storks recovering from endangered status to being delisted from the endangered species list would mark a huge conservation victory.
If the delisting proposition passes, wood storks would no longer be protected under the Endangered Species Act. But, the conservation of wood storks and their habitats won’t fall by the wayside. They will still be protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Clean Water Act, local regulations, and a minimum of five more years of USFWS monitoring.
Above: The current range of wood storks in the southeastern U.S., with purple areas indicating year-round populations. Image courtesy of eBird.
