WPDE — A rare wading bird is making a major comeback across the Southeast, prompting federal officials to remove it from the endangered species list.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the Southeast population of the wood stork will be removed from the federal endangered species list starting March 9.
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Wood storks were first listed as endangered in 1984 after habitat loss and changes to water flow caused their numbers to plummet to about 4,000 to 5,000 nesting pairs.
After decades of conservation work and wetland restoration, the population has rebounded to an estimated 10,000 to 14,000 nesting pairs across the Southeast.
In South Carolina, wildlife officials said private landowners have played a key role by managing wetlands that provide ideal nesting and feeding habitat for the birds.
State surveys show wood stork nests in South Carolina have grown from just 11 nests in the 1980s to nearly 4,000 in 2023.