and survival The primary threats to this species are anthropogenic habitat disturbance and hunting for food. A common human disturbance occurs through habitat destruction via land reclamation from marshes for agriculture, which has occurred especially in southeast Brazil and may therefore evoke conservation concern for the species in this area. Claiming land for agriculture by digging canals, together with land filling and sewage discharges may also threaten dry-season foraging environments for maguari storks especially on the northern Rio de Janeiro coast. The maguari stork is vulnerable to nesting habitat destruction because it shows nest-site fidelity, and will continue to nest in the same place even after onset of recent anthropogenic disturbance. Use of pesticides may also adversely affect the health and breeding success of this species. The capture of individuals for food presents another survival threat and occurs particularly in the Southern Amazon and Venezuela. Natural enemies of this stork include boa constrictors and crested caracaras (Polyborus plancus), both of which eat this species’ eggs. Both of these predatory species can probably also eat maguari stork chicks that are no more than a few weeks old. Many other potential predators such as jaguars, crocodilians, Pampas cats and maned wolves could also access ground nests. Although these animals are known to opportunistically feed on birds, no instances of predation on maguari storks have been hitherto recorded; but such predation is considered likely. The maguari stork is potentially threatened in the Pantanal, which as well as being subject to considerable land reclamation for agriculture, has hosted increased operation of hydroelectric dams, especially in the Parana river basin. Dams retain much water during the dry season, so that natural water features downstream are more likely to dry out completely and thereby lead to a decrease in suitable foraging sites for this stork. Conversely, during the wet season, dams can lead to extensive flooding downstream caused by the release of a large volume of water at once that renders the storks’ usual foraging grounds too deep for them to stand in. Relationship with humans This stork has historically been kept in captivity in places such as London Zoo in the mid-1800s and Amsterdam Zoo in the late 1920s, where one individual survived beyond 21 years. Two cases of breeding have been recorded in captivity. A chick was hatched but not reared in Buenos Aires Zoo between 1946 and 1950. Five chicks, of which three