Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded in Costa Rica, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
WOOD STORK – (Species Account Blog #74)
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Ciconiiformes,
- FAMILY: Ciconiidae,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Mycteria americana
Huge, long-legged, black-and-white waterbird, about the size of Great Blue Heron. White body with black flight feathers. Adults have a wrinkly bald head and fairly dark bill; juveniles have paler bill and more messy feathering on head and neck. Bill is thicker and more curved than herons. Forages mainly for fish by moving open bill through water until it feels prey. Found in wetlands, particularly flooded swamps and shallow ponds. (from Birds of the World)
SIMILAR SPECIES
Wood Stork is unique in appearance and unlikely to be confused with any other species within its range, except during flight, when it may resemble American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), or King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa
DISTRIBUTION
PERSONAL OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
In Costa Rica we observed Wood Storks mixed in with Snowy Egrets and a couple of White Ibis while on the boat tour at the mouth of the Tárcoles River.
PHOTO GALLERY
**Some of these Photo Gallery images (all taken by me) have been taken in other nearby countries.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
View the five most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.
- A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
- PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
Reflections of the Natural World 