COMPARISON OF WOOD STORK FORAGING SUCCESS AND BEHAVIOR IN SELECTED TIDAL AND NON-TIDAL HABITATS

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. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]