The Souring Tuiuiu (Jaburu Stork), South America’s Largest Wingspan
about brazil, animals (June 20, 2009)
The Jaburu Stork, or Tuiuiu (too-yoo-YOO) as it’s known locally, is somewhat ungainly and awkward on the ground. It stands about four feet tall on one leg as it pokes its 16-inch, sharply pointed beak into the ponds and lakes of the Pantanal in search of mollusks, fish, frogs, and other amphibians. Sometimes it even snatches a baby crocodile. If predators get too close (including humans on photo safaris), an entire group of these giant birds takes to the air in an instant. They circle around and land again not far away to continue their fishing activities. In the air, the Tuiuiu (scientific name: Jabiru mycteria) is a high-flyer, graceful and elegant. With its eight-foot wingspan, it is among the largest birds of the western hemisphere and is found from Mexico to Argentina, east of the Andes.
The Tuiuiu is mosly black and white: its white body is offset by a black head and neck. Between these two colors is a strip of bright red at the base of its neck. Its red and black neck is not colored by feathers; rather, these are the colors of its naked skin, which stretches to accommodate the great quantities of small animals and fish that pass down its gullet. The Tuiuiu lives in groups, but generally mates for life, creating from one to three chicks each season from late July to September. It creates large nests out of interlaced sticks in the tops of tall trees and even goes back to the same nest each season to remodel and expand it.
It’s easy to spot Tuiuiu in the Pantanal during their mating and incubation period, which corresponds to the dry season in the Pantanal. Often, they stand up in their nests, keeping a lookout or hang around in groups near small ponds and lakes. They are rather sensitive and don’t let visitors get too close, so be sure to bring a good pair of binoculars to get an up-close look.
