Wood Stork
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Late summer is when Wood Storks begin arriving in the Delta from breeding grounds to the south. These were resting on the limbs of a dead cypress in early August.Juvenile Wood Storks have yellowish bills and pale heads compared to adults. Adults have black bills and heads.What are you lookin' at?A Wood Stork approaches to land while another watches.Wood Storks fly with neck and legs outstretched. This makes them easy to identify from a distance. Egrets and Herons fly with necks tucked close to their bodies.The Wood Stork has a black tail and black primary feathers, while the rest of the feathers are white.The average wingspan of a Wood Stork can be nearly 70 inches.A long, down-curved bill is ideal for snapping up aquatic prey in murky water.Wood Storks are sometimes called flintheads or gourdheads. Their heads are featherless which helps to keep clean when feeding in muddy habitats.These Wood Storks were among several hundred others feeding along the edges of a shallow lake. They walk along with their bills open and in the water, and snap up anything that touches their mouth.Wood Storks feeding in abandoned fishpond at sunset: July
Ibis