What are some of the factors that result in the death of wood storks?
Lets examine sources of stork mortality at two levels: First, breeding-related mortality of the eggs and nestlings is a common phenomenon. Of the average clutch size of 3 eggs per nest, only about 1.3 nestlings survive to become independent and fly from the nest. Thereafter, survival rates of these fledglings once they leave the nest is unknown. Known factors causing egg or nestling loss are predators, nest collapse during storms, and insufficient food supplies which results in starvation when parents can not capture sufficient prey. Second, mortality of adult storks also is due to a variety of causes. Factors that have been identified to cause the death of adults include predators (such as alligators and bobcats), pesticide poisoning, collisions with power lines, and being struck by automobiles while taking off across the road. Disease also probably plays an unknown role in the death of both young and old storks.
