The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal Tuesday to remove the wood stork from protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The wood stork is a wading bird with a bald head and white feathers that stands some three feet tall. Its primary habitat is the Everglades but recently has spread throughout the Southeast.
Julie Wraithmell of Audubon Florida says the proposal comes as the fragile Everglades continue to face many threats.
“South Florida is still failing these birds. So the very place that was their breadbasket, there’s many seasons where the chicks starve in the nest because the hydrology is so screwed up that the parents can’t find enough food.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the bird’s rebounding population represents a major conservation milestone after decades of restoration work in the river of grass.
