BROOKHAVEN — Have you ever stirred up a wood stork? Often times the bird will sound like a braying donkey and is a little startling if it catches you off guard. Wings will whoosh through the air as each wing beat brings the bird closer.

Wood Storks faced extinction in 1984 when the United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed it in the Endangered Species Act. The act nears its 50th anniversary and at the same time, USFWS seeks to remove Wood Storks from the endangered species list as its population has made a significant recovery.

In 1984, there were 5,000 nesting pairs of Wood Storks with limited ranges in Florida but since then they have expanded to wetlands in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina. Its population has also doubled to 10,000 breeding pairs. Shannon Estenoz, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, said its recovery was thanks to management efforts. 

“The wood stork is recovering as a result of protecting its habitat at a large scale,” Estenoz said. “This iconic species has rebounded because dedicated partners in the Southeast have worked tirelessly to restore ecosystems, such as the Everglades, that support it.”

St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge is the closest USFWS refuge dedicated to habitat management for Storks and other waterfowl. Wood Storks would still be protected under the Migratory Bird Act and the Clean Water Act along with state regulations if delisted.

Wood Storks are the only species of stork which breeds in the United States. They stand four feet tall and have a five foot wingspan. Wood Storks stalk fish by walking in the water with their bill slightly ajar. Once they find fish to eat their bill snaps shut in less than “25 milliseconds, a hunting method known as tactile foraging,” according to the USFWS.

The next time you are out on Lake Lincoln or in a duck blind, be on the lookout for Wood Storks. The massive white bird has made a turnaround and continues to grow in population.