Wood Stork (Mycteria americana), Canoa Ranch Conservation Park, Pima County

This Wood Stork was found and photographed by Brian Nicholas on 22 September 2019

At the turn of the 20th century, the Wood Stork was a regular post-breeding visitor to the Lower Colorado River and to the Salton Sea in California, but populations in Mexico have declined dramatically over the last fifty years and continue to shrink. There have been ten accepted records in Arizona since the species was placed on the review list in 1989, with one additional record pending.

Although the photos are distant, the combination of wing pattern, long legs, and long pale bill eliminate all potential confusion species.

22 September 2019, photo by Brian Nicholas

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