Wood stork
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phylum | Chordata | The wood stork (Mycteria americana) is a large American wading bird in the family Ciconiidae (storks), the only member of the family to breed in North America. It was formerly called the "wood ibis", although it is not an ibis. It is found in subtropical and tropical habitats in the Americas, including the Caribbean. In South America, it is resident, but in North America, it may disperse as far as Florida.
Originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, this stork likely evolved in tropical regions. The head and neck are bare of feathers, and dark grey in colour. The plumage is mostly white, with the exception of the tail and some of the wing feathers, which are black with a greenish-purplish sheen. For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry. Get back to Storks |
clade | Diapsida | |
Class | Aves | |
order | Ciconiiformes | |
family | Ciconiidae | |
genus | Mycteria | |
species | M. americana |