Question about Wood Stork color...

[flycaster]

I've been taking pictures of Wood Storks for several years. And, all that time, the storks were always white. However, take a look at the coloring of this mature stork and its chicks. Both have quite bit of tan showing and I'm finding this t be unusual as mature storks are always white (as far as I know.) Young chicks could have a few hints of tan, but I've never seen chicks as tan as these ones. Note how white the other adult storks and their chicks are...this is normal. Would appreciate any comments on this tan color observation.

• Panasonic - DMC-FZ1000
• 50.7 mm
• ƒ/4
• 1/500 sec
• Center-Weighted Average
• Manual exposure
• ISO 125

 

[Blufftonian]

That is interesting. Could it be an airborne pollutant - maybe pollen - causing this? (But then why wouldn't the others be affected?)

Here's one from my area of coastal South Carolina, photo taken this week. In my local wood stork breeding colony, all of them are bright white...

• NIKON CORPORATION - NIKON D500
• 500.0 mm f/5.6
• 500.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/1000 sec
• Other
• Manual exposure
• ISO 100

 

[flycaster]

That is interesting. Could it be an airborne pollutant - maybe pollen - causing this? (But then why wouldn't the others be affected?)

Here's one from my area of coastal South Carolina, photo taken this week. In my local wood stork breeding colony, all of them are bright white...

View attachment 1174

Quite right, white they are. Could be some kind of mutation?

 

[Blufftonian]

Quite right, white they are. Could be some kind of mutation?

That's the only thing I can think of that makes sense.

But, this website says "Juvenile wood storks have similar white plumage with a faint tan tinge to them. In the second year, young birds acquire the pure white plumage, which is kept throughout the bird’s life". So, maybe the bird standing guard hasn't achieved the pure white plumage yet, but that doesn't explain why the two sets of chicks in your photo are clearly different.

 

[ootanaboot]

Could it be an airborne pollutant

That makes me think water pollutant, or just a muddy stretch of water they have recently been in. They do look a little damp compared to the white Storks.

 

[Blufftonian]

That makes me think water pollutant, or just a muddy stretch of water they have recently been in. They do look a little damp compared to the white Storks.

But the nestlings don't look they have fledged yet and wouldn't have been in water, other than rain???

 

[ootanaboot]

wouldn't have been in water, other than rain???

or caught in spray from...??? Perhaps the others were shielded by those that are tanned.
Sorry I can help you much, only think of wild guesses. I hope you solve the mystery.

 

[Blufftonian]

I too can only come up wild guesses. Wood storks typically nest in very high trees so I’d say them getting some sort of spray that the others didn’t is unlikely.

What if there was something in the nesting material for that particular stork family? I have read that both parents incubate the eggs but I don’t know if the female spends more time on the nest with the chicks than the male. But if this was so, and that nest material contains something with a strong dye, then it might explain why the chicks and female are beige, while the male has remained white?

Or, I could be totally wrong.

 

[flycaster]

I'll probably be back at Wakodahatchee this week and will check on the chicks color, then. BTW, the thought about "muddy water" is reasonable, but I don't think that is answer. If it was, I would be seeing more tan Wood Storks as there are probably close to 100 nesters and odds are that there would be others with that tan coloring.

 

[flycaster]

Here's a shot of those tan storks, taken 2 weeks later. Again, they are still tannish when all other young storks growing up in this area are white???