On Great White Wings and Lofty Legs

National Wildlife
April/May 2004

STANDING TALL against the backdrop of the world’s largest wetland, the jabiru stork looks like a creature straight out of the Jurassic. Nearly five feet of feathers and beak, this imposing figure in a white suit and flashy red necktie dwarfs the other avian waders drawn to the Pantanal’s rich waters. Usually spotted alone or in pairs, jabirus are so abundant in this region, which extends through parts of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, that it’s possible to see dozens of their ivory bodies spread out across the watery expanse. Read the Article