The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to change the wood stork's classification from endangered to threatened.

The proposal was announced Tuesday.

Reports say the wood stork nesting numbers have increased dramatically and the birds' nesting range has almost doubled since it was listed as endangered in 1984.

After the proposal is published in the Federal Register later this week, there will be a 60-day public comment period, and the service expects to make a final decision sometime in 2013.