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Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Brown Pelican, Alan D. Wilson, © www.naturespicsonline.com

Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis

Photo: © Alan D. Wilson

Home >> Species >> Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis

Harkening back to the “flying fortresses” (B-17 aircraft) of World War II, a squadron of Brown Pelicans flying high over the Bay in V-formation or plunge-diving for fish off-shore is a thrilling sight.  While its short legs, webbed feet, and incredibly long beak (at 18 inches, the longest of any bird) make it look ungainly on land, the Brown Pelican’s seven-foot wingspan allows it to navigate the waters off the west coast of North America, from the Gulf of Mexico to British Columbia, with grace, agility, and speed.  And birds returning to their feeding grounds in the north from their rookeries to the south like to roost—and loaf around—in the GGNRA.

One of two species of pelican found in North America (the other being the American White), the Brown Pelican looks to be the next big success story for the Endangered Species Act. (Brown Pelicans on the Atlantic coast have already been removed from the endangered species list).  Forty years ago, these birds flew perilously close to extinction.  Their numbers had been slipping for decades due to known stressors such as predation, over-fishing, and the loss of habitat, but biologists were becoming concerned about the effects of pesticides, including DDT, in agricultural runoff.  By 1969, barely 1100 nesting pairs were reported on Anacapa Island (an important rookery off the coast of Southern California), a mere fraction of the historical numbers.  Typically, those birds would have produced approximately 360 fledglings (1 out of 3 eggs in a pelican clutch), but that year, there were a mere handful.  And the following year, the situation was even worse:  half as many nesting pairs, and just one fledgling.

This catastrophe was traced to an unexpected source—a southern California plant was discharging DDT directly into the sea. There, DDT levels had built up in the tissue of fish to the point where they were poisoning the pelicans, which live on the sardines, anchovies, and mackerel they scoop up in their enormous pouches when they plunge-dive.  The poison impaired the birds’ ability to form calcium, so their eggshells became too thin and brittle to support their weight.  Once the dumping stopped, the pelicans began to recover.  There were approximately 4000 nesting pairs on Anacapa Island in 1997. Today, Brown Pelicans are virtually ubiquitous along our coastline, and can be seen regularly from the GGNRA.   

Conservation Action Item

DDT has been banned within the United States1972, but there are still many threats to Brown Pelicans, including oil spills and entanglement in abandoned fishing gear.  You can help protect Brown Pelicans by participating in the 2008 Coastal Clean-up Day on a beach in the GGNRA.

For more information about this Conservation Action Item:

California Coastal Cleanup Day

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Previous Comments

Posted by: Steve Price | 2008-05-19 09:46:37

If you're just getting started on the Big Year Event, go out to the GGNRA coast and see pelicans flying by. We saw them off Land's End earlier this year and just yesterday at Rodeo Beach (May). They're easy to spot if they're around. You don't need binoculars or a scope!

 

Posted by: Cheryl Erb | 2008-05-23 11:04:11

Any company that uses or mfrs. DDT should be fined so heavily it borders on going out of business. That should be enough of a threat that they wake up before it's too late for birds including pelicans. Thank you, Cheryl Erb

 

Posted by: gordon | 2008-06-27 02:08:58

If you haven't seen a brown pelican before, now is the perfect time of year to get outside and watch these amazing dive-bombing birds all around the bay. Beautiful creatures, it's always wonderful to have them back from their sojourn south!

 

Posted by: birdybirdyblue | 2008-10-22 14:44:09

We see them flying along the coast between Crystal Cove State Park and Long Beach/Seal Beach area. They are beautiful creatures!