Coastal Habitat Use by Wood Storks During the Non-breeding Season

Abstract

We documented roosting and foraging habitat use by Wood Storks during the post-breeding season in the coastal zone of Georgia from 1994-1998. Larger, more persistent aggregations of roosting storks typically occurred in enclosed wetlands on large estuarine islands. Smaller, more ephemeral aggregations tended to occur on salt marsh/upland ecotones, where storks appeared to be waiting for local conditions (tide levels) to become suitable for foraging. Examination of habitat types within a 2-km radius of the larger (mean > 10 storks/survey) vs. smaller (mean <10 storks/survey) roosts showed that surrounding habitat structure, including those used for foraging, were similar. Foraging storks typically fed in close proximity (median = 0.5 km) to large roosts, much closer than storks using coastal wetlands during the breeding season. Tidal creeks were used almost exclusively as foraging habitat (92%). Storks and other wading birds were almost always present when the study bird arrived. The foraging patterns of study birds and four storks carrying radios suggested that storks often used the same foraging sites and/ or marsh systems in the non-breeding season. Coastal Wood Storks apparently selected roosting sites based on the presence of conspecifics, abundant local prey, or possibly as shelter from adverse weather conditions.

Space Use and Movements of Adult Reddish Egrets (Egretta rufescens) During Winter

“…On average, Reddish Egrets flew approximately 2 km between foraging and roosting sites during winter. Similar results have been observed in Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) wintering in Georgia, USA, which foraged within 2 km of roosts (Bryan et al 2002). Also, Black Storks (Ciconia nigra) wintering in Africa generally roosted within 3 km of foraging areas (Chevallier et al 2010).…”

Resource Selection Functions for Wood Stork Foraging Habitat in the Southern Everglades

“…The cues by which birds select foraging sites was not addressed here; however, because we observed the foraging sites that birds selected, we did note that Wood Storks landed at sites occupied by a flock of wading birds 99% of the time (Herring 2007) as compared to 76% in coastal Georgia (Bryan et al 2002). Wading birds, including Wood Storks, are social foragers and are known to use white wading bird flocks to cue in to profitable foraging sites (Kushlan 1977;Green and Leberg 2005;Gawlik and Crozier 2007).…”

Effects of increased flow in the main stem of the River Rhine on the invertebrate communities of its tributaries

“…Hoch & Körner, 2003), the arctic tundra‐taiga ecotone (Hofgaard & Wilmann, 2002) and forest‐prairie interfaces (Hane & Hamburg, 2002). In coastal and marine ecosystems, tidal salt marshes (Bryan, Gaines & Eldridge, 2002), zones between high‐saline and low‐saline seas (Nielsen et al. , 2003) and areas between coastal upwelling zones and the deep sea (Olson, 2001) all represent important ecotones.…”