Wood Stork: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Storks and Ibises · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. Of all the storks in the world, this is the only one that breeds in North America.
2. With its bare, scaly head, it has picked up local nicknames such as flinthead, stonehead, ironhead and even preacher.
3. It fishes without looking. Bill in the water, it walks very slowly and pumps a foot up and down before each step to stir up prey.
4. On warm, clear days it flaps up to at least 610 m, then rides rising warm air and glides 16 to 24 km without flapping.
5. Raising a chick takes a lot of fishing: one young stork eats about 16.5 kg of food before it is ready to fly.

The quiz

1. Which is the only stork that breeds in North America?

• The marabou stork
• The white stork
• The black stork
• The wood stork (correct)

The wood stork is the only stork species breeding in North America.

2. Which of these is one of its local nicknames?

• Ironhead (correct)
• Bluebeak
• Featherhead
• Redlegs

Ironhead is one of its regional names, like flinthead and preacher.

3. When foot stirring, what does the stork do before each step?

• It flaps its wings
• It calls loudly
• It pumps its foot up and down (correct)
• It hops on one leg

Bill in the water, it moves a foot up and down before each step.

4. On a warm, clear day, how far can it glide without flapping?

• About 500 km
• 16 to 24 km (correct)
• About 1,000 km
• About 2,000 km

Rising warm air lets it glide 16 to 24 km without flapping.

5. How much food does a chick eat before it can fly?

• About 500 g
• About 2 kg
• About 16.5 kg (correct)
• About 100 kg

A chick eats about 16.5 kg before it fledges.

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