Nocturnal activities of post-breeding wood storks

Postbreeding season activities of Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) were exa mined during 24 h long observation periods at inland impoundments and a coa stal roost site. Storks were present at inland impoundments and foraged mor e at night there than at other times of the day. Wood Stork attendance at t he coastal roost site was significantly reduced during nocturnal low tides than during daytime low tides or at either period of higher tide levels. Pr esumably, storks were leaving the roost to forage on fish concentrated in t idal creeks by dropping tides. Nocturnal foraging in freshwater and estuari ne systems may be an advantageous strategy for the tactile-feeding storks b y reducing the likelihood of their being observed by their prey and possibl y by reducing competition with other wading birds. Also, some prey species in both freshwater and saltwater environments are more active nocturnally t han diurnally, this increasing their likelihood of capture by nocturnal-for aging Wood Storks. In the coastal setting, low tide events (two per similar to 24 h) typically provide at least: one "pulse" of stork prey in draining tidal creeks during the nocturnal period.