Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for July–September 2025
Wood Stork Trapping and Tagging to Study Their Movement Ecology
Kacy Cook, Coastal Waterbird Biologist; and Brooke Calisto, Waterbird Technician
T hree Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) were captured at Oyster Harbor in Supply, North Carolina using a net blaster and decoys at the end of September. Each stork was fitted with an e-obs Bird Solar GPS transmitter weighing 27g and banded for identification. In addi- tion, blood and feather samples were collected along with oral and cloacal swabs to test for various diseases and PFAS (per- and polyfluo- roalkyl substances). GPS tag 8981 was deployed on September 22nd. Since then, it has remained along the Shallotte River. The farthest it ventured from the river was on October 14th when it stopped briefly at Ocean Isle Beach. GPS tag 8980 was deployed on September 23rd. The Wood Stork stayed in Brunswick County where it has moved between the Lock- wood Folly and Shallotte Rivers. GPS tag 8979 was deployed at the same time as 8980 on September 23rd. The stork stayed near Shallotte before it traveled down to Peters- field, South Carolina near the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge on September 30th. It remained in that area for approximately eight days before it started to travel north on October 8th. Its most recent location on October 16th was just south of Longs, South Carolina near the bor- der with North Carolina. Continued monitoring of these individuals will provide valuable information on habitat use and migration stop-over sites for future management and conservation of Wood Storks. We would like to thank the Oyster Harbor Homeowners Association and residents who allowed access to a pond where trapping was conducted. We would also like to thank the US Department of Agriculture for assistance of their staff and the loan of their net blaster.
KELLY DOUGLASS
Clockwise from above: Brooke Calisto carefully holds a Wood Stork while Larry Bryan attaches the GPS transmit- ter. Below: Larry Bryan (retired, Savannah River Ecology Lab, UGA), Kelly Douglass (USDA, WS), Miranda Turner (NCWRC), Kacy Cook (NCWRC), and Brooke Calisto (NCWRC). Bottom: Larry Bryan, Kacy Cook, and Brooke Calisto retrieve Wood Stork captured by net-blaster.
HOPE SUTTON
KELLY DOUGLASS
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