Morro Bay, California – On a jagged coastline in central California, brown pelicans congregate on rocky outcroppings, crowded like nervous passengers as they take flight to feed on a large school of fish just offshore. The water cascades in white caps as large-billed birds dive beneath the surface in search of northern anchovies, Pacific sardines and mackerel.
If they look awkward and wobbly on the ground, they become agile once in flight. The distinctive pouch hanging below the lower beak can scoop up to 3 gallons of water with each ocean dive – the largest pouch of any bird in the world.
This is what scientists call “feeding madness.” It’s an encouraging sign for a bird that has struggled in recent years with rising ocean temperatures, inconsistent breeding patterns and toxic algae blooms in Southern California.
“I would say bird populations are fairly stable, but some events are concerning,” says Tammy Russell, a seabird scientist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Flaming seabirds are a “good sign for the marine environment,” Russell said.
On this warm, clear day, thousands of birds inhabit the nearby beaches and cliffs, attracted by the abundance of food. Cormorants and gulls mingle with swans. The incessant roar of the waves and the chorus of bird cries are all that can be heard on this jutting coast.
The bird’s range extends along the Pacific coast from British Columbia, Canada, to Mexico. In their struggle for survival, Russell points out that California brown pelicans were on the federal endangered species list after a sharp decline in their numbers attributed to the pesticide DDT, which causes thinning of eggshells. The bird’s population has recovered, and the bird was removed from the list in 2009, although it still faces multiple challenges.
They are large birds, with adults weighing about 8 pounds and having a wingspan of about 7 feet. Because it is large in size, it needs large quantities of fish every day, which is its favorite food.
“When they don’t understand that, they can break down very quickly,” Russell noted.
If the water temperature rises, fish can move to deeper, cooler water, making it more difficult for birds to feed. Last year dozens sick Starving pelicans were found in coastal communities in California, and many others died. The wildlife authorities were Confusion In 2022 when large numbers of brown pelicans in California were found sick and dying.
Earlier this year, toxic algae poisoned pelicans and other marine animals along the coast.
Russell said scientists are still learning how birds react to changes in their environment. They now use electronic leg bands to follow the birds on their journeys.
As the larger birds gradually head south to islands off the coast of California or Mexico to breed, “it’s encouraging to see the pelican population feeding and improving,” Russell said.