Adult plumage
Credit: Kenneth Cole Schneider

North American field guide

Wood Stork

Mycteria americana

Also known as:Wood Ibis

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

102 cm (40") Locally common in southern swamps, marshes, ponds and coastal shallows. Nests in colonies in trees.

Dark bill is long, thick and slightly downcurved (bill is yellow in immatures). Dark bald head. White body contrasts with black flight feathers and black tail.

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

Loading the rebuilt map…

Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Approximate reconstruction of a historical map. Source date unknown.

Geography: Natural Earth
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 2 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Wood Stork

2 rules
Rule 1 11 criteria confidence 4
What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?
Green · Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour were the WING TIPS ?
Black or dark gray · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?
Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Long · Very long · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Goose-sized · Larger than a goose
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Long-legged wader
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States
result:353-wood-stork:1:1 Source: 353 Wood Stork, row 1
Rule 2 11 criteria confidence 1
What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?
Green · Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour were the WING TIPS ?
Black or dark gray · Unknown
What colour were the WINGS ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?
Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Long · Very long · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Goose-sized · Larger than a goose
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Long-legged wader
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Northeastern Canada or United States · Northwestern Canada or United States