SREL Reprint #2908

Comparison of wood stork foraging success and behavior in selected tidal and non-tidal habitats

F. Chris Depkin, Laura K. Estep, A. Lawrence Bryan, Jr., Carol S. Eldridge, and I Lehr Brisbin, Jr.

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA

Abstract: In 1999, we compared foraging success rates (captures/min) and foraging behaviors of Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) at tidal (Georgia) and non-tidal freshwater (South Carolina) foraging sites. Foraging success rates were 30 times greater at the tidal site, but storks foraging in tidal areas only fed at low tide, which limited their foraging time at that site. On-site behaviors indicated the window of prey availability. Storks at the tidal site engaged almost exclusively in foraging behaviors, whereas storks at the non-tidal site devoted more time to other, non-foraging behaviors (e.g., preening, resting). The greater foraging success rate associated with the tidal site suggests that salt marsh/tidal creek habitats are high-quality foraging areas.

SREL Reprint #2908

Depkin, F. C., L. K. Estep, A. L. Bryan, Jr., C. S. Eldridge, and I. L. Brisbin, Jr. 2005. Comparison of wood stork foraging success and behavior in selected tidal and non-tidal habitats. The Wilson Bulletin 117:386-389.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).