Wood Stork

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Wood Stork in San José?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wood Stork sighting in San José on a given day, based on 216 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 161st most-seen of the 379 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Wood Stork in San José?

Any time of year. In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wood Stork in San José on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Wood Stork?

Between 9 am and noon. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wood Stork sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is San José the best place to see a Wood Stork?

17th of 24. Of the 24 cities where we can rate Wood Stork sightings, San José ranks 17th at under 5%. The best odds are in Panama City (Panama, about 20%), Miami (United States, about 20%) and Orlando (United States, about 10%).

Q: Where does the Wood Stork sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Wood Stork is recorded against all the birds logged in San José (216 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Mycteria americana

Silhouette: Mathieu Basille · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCiconiiformes (Storks)
FamilyCiconiidae (Storks)
GenusMycteria (Mycteria Storks)
SpeciesMycteria americana (Wood Stork)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at San José

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

216 Verified sightings at San José

19,534 In all 53 parks From 2019 to 2026

December Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Wood Stork

The wood stork (Mycteria americana) is a large wading bird in the family Ciconiidae (storks). Originally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, this stork is native to the subtropics and tropics of the Americas, where it persists in habitats with fluctuating water levels. It is the only stork species that breeds in North America. The head and neck are bare of feathers, and dark grey in colour. The plumage is mostly white, with the exception of the tail and some of the wing feathers, which are black with a greenish-purplish sheen.

Globally, the wood stork is considered to be of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the United States, the wood stork was previously classified as endangered due to loss of suitable feeding habitat in the Florida Everglades, its historical population stronghold in the country. The species has been subsequently downlisted to threatened after northward range expansion and increased population size.

The wood stork was first formally given its binomial name Mycteria americana by Linnaeus in 1758. Linnaeus originally named two separate species, M. americana and Tantalus loculator, based on different and... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Begging call0:40

United States · 2025

Billed snapping0:14

United States · 2013

Alarm call1:08

United States · 2013

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 20 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
2	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~60%
3	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
4	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
5	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
6	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
7	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
8	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~30%
9	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
10	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~20%
11	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
12	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
13	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
14	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
15	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
16	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
17	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
18	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
19	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
20	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
21	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
22	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
23	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
24	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
25	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
26	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
27	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
29	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
30	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
31	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
32	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
34	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
35	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
36	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
37	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
38	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
39	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
40	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
41	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
42	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
43	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
44	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
45	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
46	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
47	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
48	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
49	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
50	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
52	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
53	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Panama City	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
2	Miami	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
3	Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
4	Santa Cruz de la Sierra	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
5	San Pedro Sula	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
6	Denver	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
7	Goiânia	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
8	Barranquilla	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
9	Belém	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
10	Brasilia	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	SeaWorld Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Parque das Aves	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
3	Zoológico de Brasília	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
4	Sedgwick County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
6	São Paulo Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
7	ZooTampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
8	Gatorland	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
9	Houston Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
10	Aviario Nacional de Colombia	🇨🇴 Colombia	In captivity
11	Discovery Cove	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
12	Mangal das Garças	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
13	Parque Zoobotânico do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
14	Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
15	Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
16	El Nispero Zoo	🇵🇦 Panama	In captivity
17	St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
18	Jacques Huber Aquarium	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
19	Seaside Seabird Sanctuary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
20	Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity

Show all 20 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at San José

No species of the same family or order lives in San José, so these are its closest relatives here: other birds.

Turdus grayi

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Thraupis episcopus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Zenaida asiatica

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Quiscalus mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Melanerpes hoffmannii

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Amazilia tzacatl

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Notiochelidon cyanoleuca

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Patagioenas flavirostris

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Aratinga finschi

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Campylorhynchus capistratus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Wood Stork in San José?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wood Stork sighting in San José on a given day, based on 216 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 161st most-seen of the 379 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Wood Stork in San José?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wood Stork in San José on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Wood Stork?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wood Stork sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is San José the best place to see a Wood Stork?

17th of 24

Of the 24 cities where we can rate Wood Stork sightings, San José ranks 17th at under 5%. The best odds are in Panama City (Panama, about 20%), Miami (United States, about 20%) and Orlando (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Wood Stork sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Wood Stork is recorded against all the birds logged in San José (216 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to San José

Wood Stork

About the Wood Stork

Sounds

Recent sightings of Wood Stork in San José

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at San José

Clay-colored Thrush

Great Kiskadee

Blue-gray Tanager

White-winged Dove

Tropical Kingbird

Great-tailed Grackle

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Blue-and-white Swallow

Red-billed Pigeon

Crimson-fronted Parakeet

Rufous-backed Wren

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Wood Stork in San José?

When is the best time to see a Wood Stork in San José?

What time of day is best to see a Wood Stork?

Is San José the best place to see a Wood Stork?

Where does the Wood Stork sighting chance come from?