Brown Pelicans in Florida |
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Brown pelicans are large, shore-dwelling birds. They reach sizes up to 48 inches long from head to tail, with a 6-7 foot wingspan and a weight of about 8 pounds. They are strong swimmers and graceful flyers, but are rather clumsy when walking on land. They are long-lived, the oldest individual on record died at 43 years of age. They can be observed along the coasts from North to South America. Pelicans are fish eating birds. They have excellent eyesight and hunt by searching for schools of small bait fish while flying over the ocean, sometimes from as high as 50 feet. When pelicans see fish they will dive steeply into the water, often submerging completely, and capture the fish in their large throat pouches. Brown Pelicans are the only pelican bird to use this dramatic hunting style. Pelicans are highly social birds that often congregate in large flocks throughout much of the year. They also breed in large colonies, which may consist of several hundred pairs, nesting in bushes, or in trees, usually on small estuarine islands where they can be free from disturbance from terrestrial predators. Nests are typically little more than a shallow depression built from grass or reeds, over interwoven sticks on supporting tree branches. Along the eastern coast of the United States, pelicans nest from South Carolina to Florida (both coasts) and in Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas across the Gulf. In southern Florida, nesting often begins in the fall, but farther north doesn't begin until late winter or spring, with peak egg-laying often occurring in March and April. Pelicans usually lay 2-3 eggs that hatch in approximately 1 month. Like many birds, newly hatched pelicans are featherless and completely dependent upon their parents. Each young pelican usually requires about 50 pounds of food and about 75 days to reach the point of fledging, or first flight. Because of their size, pelicans are usually conspicuous and are often a common fixture at marinas and fishing piers and can be counted on to panhandle for food from the often compliant fishermen. The brown pelican nearly disappeared from North America between the 1950s-early 1970's. It was found that their sharp population decline was due to human-made organochlorine pesticides that were in use at the time (i.e., DDT). The run-off containing those pesticides entered rivers and eventually the ocean, which then contaminated the fish, the main food source for the pelicans. Over time, the contaminated fish were consumed by pelicans, which lead to a build up of the pesticides in the birds and killed many outright. In addition, the pesticides caused the surviving individuals to lay thin-shelled eggs that often would be crushed under the weight of the incubating birds. The brown pelican was placed on the endangered species list in 1970. Following the ban on DDT in 1972, the reproduction rates of the pelicans significantly improved. As a result, pelicans were taken off the endangered species list in the southeast United States in 1985 and by the 1990s pelican populations had returned to pre-DDT levels. The brown pelican is a success story for conservationists everywhere. What Can I do to Help Pelicans? One of the best things you can do to help pelicans is to avoid giving them fish and other food. Wildlife rehabilitation facilities receive hundreds of sick and injured pelicans every year. Many pelican injuries are directly related to situations where pelicans have become used to being fed. Feeding pelicans frequently causes those birds to become habituated to the feeding. That means it becomes a habit for the pelicans to hang around places where they are likely to be fed or find fish scraps. Fish scraps left over after filleting a fish often include large bones that can scratch, poke holes in, or get stuck in the throat of a pelican and that can cause the birds to get sick, or sometimes even choke or starve. Feeding pelicans can even lead to situations in which pelicans become aggressive, stealing fish from lines, and becoming nuisances. Pelicans that get used to hand-outs from people frequently linger around piers and other popular fishing areas. When they go after fish that have been caught, the pelicans can get caught on the fish hooks. In those situations, more often then not, the fisherman simply cuts the line. These hooked pelicans can get tangled on the dangling lines, which can leave them unable to take care of themselves, become injured, or even die. Sometimes the hook creates a hole in the skin of the pouch, which can cause an infection, leading to sickness and other problems. For all these reasons, FWC, wildlife rehabilitators, and many other people who are knowledgeable about pelicans encourage you to not feed pelicans. Help keep pelican populations wild by doing your part to not feed them. This keeps them out of danger and will help eliminate the cumulative effects feeding creates. One person feeding a pelican one fish may not harm the bird, but problems do occur because usually there are many people feeding that same pelican every day. Use fish scrap repositories at piers and docks if they are available. If they are not available, discard your fish scraps in a garbage can or at home. Your efforts will help keep pelicans healthy and pelican populations wild. Links to Other FWC Pages With Information About Brown Pelicans Wildlife Viewing – Brown Pelican Wildlife Viewing – American White Pelican Breeding Bird Atlas – Brown Pelican Other Links to More Information about Brown Pelicans US Fish and Wildlife Service Website about Pelicans Audubon Society Information on Brown Pelicans Video - Univ. of Florida Sea Grant Program: "Minimizing the Impacts on Pelicans" Univ. of Florida, IFAS Extension: "Why Shouldn't We Feed Water Birds" |
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