Deer hunter discovers rare subtropical wood stork in the wilds of Wisconsin [View all]
Source: AP
By TODD RICHMOND
Updated 11:20 AM CDT, August 15, 2025
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A very rare and apparently very confused subtropical wood stork somehow found its way to the wilds of Wisconsin.
A hunter scouting for deer first sighted the bird Sunday in a remote section of the Mud Lake Wildlife Area in Columbia County, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of Madison, the state’s capital, said Horicon Marsh Bird Club President Jeff Bahls.
The hunter snapped some photos of the stork and sent them to Bahls, who doubles as a wildlife technician for the state Department of Natural Resources. Bahls confirmed that the bird in question was indeed a wood stork.
He said it was likely a juvenile that may have hatched this spring since its bill was light-colored. Adult wood storks’ bills typically turn black as they mature, he said.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/wood-stork-rare-sighting-wisconsin-6e05b292070a5ff1bca58d2d02ca0bca
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