The Everglades’ invasive python collapse is silently reshaping the ecosystem, and scientists are finally tracking the true impact on wading birds. For decades, these massive snakes have decimated native wildlife, but new research reveals that the birds most affected are finding surprising consequences.
Margaret Hensley had spent 16 years counting nesting pairs at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Naples, and she knew the seasonal patterns of the wood stork colony well. During her March survey of the most recent nesting season, she recorded a colony larger than any she had seen in six years. The increase was significant enough that her usual measures of water levels, rainfall, and prey availability…