Wood Stork

Wood Storks are social birds who forage in groups and nest in colonies. Small groups of storks forage in wetlands, frequently following each other one by one in a line. They nest in tight colonies with egrets and herons and generally show little aggression. Wood Storks nest in trees above standing water and build nests in cypress swamps, in oaks in flooded impoundments, in mangroves, and in flooded areas with black gum and Australian pine. Almost any tree or shrub will do as long as standing water is present. Wood Storks primarily eat fish and other aquatic invertebrates, but sometimes take seeds, amphibians, nestlings, and reptiles. They walk slowly through wetlands with their bill in the water, feeling for prey. When they feel something on their bill, they quickly snap it closed, swallowing the prey whole. To find prey they also push their feet up and down in the water or flick their wings to startle prey. Storks also visually search for prey, but more frequently use their bill to feel for it, especially in muddy waters. (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology)