Satellite Tracking Large-scale Movements of Wood Storks Captured in the Gulf Coast Region

• Published in: Waterbirds (De Leon Springs, Fla.) Fla.), 2008-05, Vol.31 (sp1), p.35-41
• Main Authors: Bryan, A. Lawrence, Brooks, William B, Taylor, Jimmy D, Richardson, David M, Jeske, Clinton W, Brisbin, I. Lehr
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Artificial satellites; Breeding seasons; Breeding sites; Coasts; Freshwater; Gulf Coast; Gulfs; migration; movements; Mycteria americana; River basins; Signals; Storks; Telemetry; Transmitters; Wood Stork
• ISSN: 1524-4695; 1938-5390
• DOI: 10.1675/1524-4695(2008)31[35:STLMOW]2.0.CO;2

Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) breeding in the southeastern United States exhibit lengthy inter- and intra-regional movements in response to resource availability. One type of movement, post-breeding dispersal, has resulted in storks from this population temporarily moving into the Gulf Coast states of Alabama and eastern Mississippi. Concurrently, other Wood Storks, presumably of Mexican/Central American origin, are frequently observed in large numbers in the Mississippi River Valley and nearby western states during the late-summer months and the proximity of dispersing storks from the two regions might result in population mixing. In a preliminary examination of the origins of Wood Storks observed in Gulf Coast states and the likelihood of population mixing, we deployed ten satellite transmitters on storks in those areas in June-July of 2003 and monitored their movements. All storks captured in eastern Mississippi moved into southern Florida. Storks captured in western Mississippi went to eastern Mexico or western Guatemala. One stork from Louisiana went to Mexico and the other went to southern Florida, suggesting that population mixing may be occurring on their non-breeding season habitats.