maltha was probably highly dispersive and could have extended its range to Venezuela from North America during the Pliocene, part of the range of the extant maguari stork. Description Adult appearance The bird stands at tall and has a wingspan of around , making it similar in size to the congeneric white stork. Nine male maguari storks weighed an average of while five females weighed an average of . It is intermediate in size between the smaller wood stork and the larger jabiru, the two other stork species with which the maguari stork exists in sympatry in some parts of its range. Much of the adult plumage is white, with black flight feathers and a forked blacked tail which is shorter than the stiff white under-tail coverts, so that these protrude from underneath the tail and may function aerodynamically in flight. The forked tail clearly distinguishes the maguari stork from the white stork, and is easily observed in flight from the ground thanks to the white under-tail coverts. During flight, this stork offers an impressive sight. It soars at least a hundred metres above the ground with an outstretched neck and extended legs, intermittently beating its broad wings to gain momentum for long glides. It flaps its wings at a rate of 181 beats per minute and the wingspan measures 150–180 cm. This stork needs to make three long jumps before it can take off from the ground. Individuals undergo a fresh moult in the breeding season to produce brighter plumage in preparation for courtship. Head and neck feathers consist of long semi-plumes measuring up to 18 cm long that become erectile and are important in courtships and aggressive displays. Barbs on the neck feathers also have no barbules, thus making the neck appear like a translucent net. The bill is straight, bluish grey, and lined with red. The final third portion along the bill length is dark maroon. The iris is lemon-yellow or cream white and the legs are purplish red. The skin of the throat and the pebbly-textured lores are orangey red, becoming deeper red during courtship. The sexes are largely indistinguishable externally, except that the male is slightly larger with a slightly upward curved bill. Individuals usually weigh 3800-4200 g, with males being heavier. Juvenile appearance A distinct characteristic unique to this stork species is intermediately dark plumage in the young, which persists for most of the