CDFW
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has received increased reports of California brown pelicans, a fully protected species, stranded along the coast from Santa Cruz County south to San Diego County, since late April. Central and Southern California wildlife rehabilitation facilities began admitting an unusually high number of sick pelicans as reports were received.
The pelicans exhibit characteristics of emaciation, and some have secondary injuries. CDFW along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), wildlife rehabilitation facilities and other state partners are coordinating to assess the ongoing situation.
CDFW is conducting postmortem examinations and testing pelicans admitted to wildlife rehabilitation facilities. Preliminary results indicate that pelicans are succumbing to starvation related problems.
Stranding events have been documented to occur periodically along the California coast in a variety of seabird species. A similar pelican stranding event occurred in spring 2022 with nearly 800 pelicans admitted into wildlife rehabilitation facilities and 394 successfully returned to the wild.
Officials ask the public not to touch, harass, attempt to feed or take photographs with pelicans. Do not attempt to remove any fishing lines or embedded fishing hooks from entangled birds.
CDFW and agency partners will continue to track this stranding event.
How Can the Public Help?
Report an injured or sick pelican:
- Call your local wildlife rehabilitation facility
- Call your regional CDFW office
Report a dead pelican:
- Residents can report dead wildlife to CDFW’s Wildlife Health Laboratory using the mortality reporting form, which helps biologists monitor the event- please include photos if possible.
Support a local Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility:
- Contact permitted facilities intaking brown pelicans directly for how to best assist.
Related Article
Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network is Experiencing a Pelican Event
COAST – once again, nothing you just said is true. 1) Offshore turbines will not “kill them all.” Oil/coal will kill far more. 2) Affects on marine mammals such as whales and dolphins are not as disastrous as the right-leaning, anti-green media shrieks about. Read some actual science from the NOAA. 3) Wind turbines do not need 12,000 gallons of oil nor is the oil changed more than once a year. They use less than 10% of that completely false claim.
” At this point, there is no scientific evidence that noise resulting from offshore wind site characterization surveys could potentially cause whale deaths. There are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities.” – https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england-mid-atlantic/marine-life-distress/frequent-questions-offshore-wind-and-whales
Facts are important. You won’t get them from rapid anti-renewable sources.
Why does anyone care about these beautiful and iconic birds…. The CA Green Engery Gods in Sacramento are going to kill them all with the off-shore wind machines, not to mention the impact of the noise generated that will affect migrating CA Gray Whatles and dolphin communications, OR the average 12,000 gallons of oil that needs to be changed semi annually for each wind machine.
Right-wing social media disinformation seems to be your preferred material for comments.
Today’s Wildlife Care Network email
Since Tuesday, April 23, Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network has received an unusually large influx of Brown Pelican patients.
Birds arriving are emaciated and dehydrated, and many have injuries from fishing hooks and line. There are many more reports of deceased pelicans being found all over Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, This isn’t just concentrated in our area either, centers ranging from San Francisco to San Diego are also seeing large numbers of sick and dying pelicans.
Currently, SBWCN is working in collaboration with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and other wildlife rehabilitation centers in southern and central California to identify the cause of this event. While it has been established that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is not involved in this event, several other possibilities are still being ruled out.
So far, SBWCN has received 98 Brown Pelican!
If you would like to help SBWCN respond to this event please consider making a donation to the work to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife. Your support provides the food, fluids, and medications these birds needed to make a full recovery.
All members of the public who see a pelican in distress in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties are encouraged to call the Wildlife Helpline at 805-681-1080 before attempting rescue of an animal or to report an animal that needs help.
Your donations go directly to support the care and rehabilitation of these birds, including the pounds of fish they eat per day!