Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Sean Carroll
Some rights reserved

Like their close relatives, vultures of the family Cathartidae (Mindell et al., 1998), storks are soaring birds that will ride thermals to altitudes of up to 300 meters or more to get to feeding grounds up to 130 kilometers away (Klinkenberg, 1998). They are known to be incredible acrobats when descending, performing marvelous turns, dives, and rolls. They are highly gregarious birds occurring in small to very large flocks and they build their nests in large colonies with other storks.

The formation of flocks is thought to be triggered when the birds smell exposed mud at low tides. These areas are often favorable feeding grounds. Like other migrating birds, wood storks may locate their nesting grounds by recognizing geographical landmarks and sensing magnetic fields (Wolkomir and Wolkomir, 2001). (Klinkenberg, 1998; Mindell, Sorenson, and Dimcheff, 1998; Wolkomir and Wolkomir, 2001)

Home Range

We do not have information on home range for this species at this time.

Communication and Perception

Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Sean Carroll
Some rights reserved

Like other migrating birds, wood storks may locate their nesting grounds by recognizing geographical landmarks and sensing magnetic fields. (Wolkomir and Wolkomir, 2001)