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Our only native stork in North America, a very large, heavy-billed bird that wades in the shallows of southern swamps. Flies with slow wingbeats, and flocks often soar very high on warm days. Young Wood Storks have noisy begging calls, but adults are almost silent except for hissing and bill clappering. Florida populations have declined as water management there has become a more difficult problem.

This huge tropical stork is found mainly in South America. It is an uncommon breeder in southern Mexico, but wanderers have strayed as far north as Texas a few times, and one has reached Oklahoma. Occurrences north of the border have been in late summer or fall.