Brown Pelicans Traverse Coast Looking for Food, Shelter

photo courtesy of National Audobon Society

The Brown Pelican

By Ryder Miller

Flying in formation over Ocean Beach, Californian Brown Pelicans make the journey north during the summer and fly south for the winter. They are just following the food, explained Brown Pelican expert Frank Gress, a University of California at Davis biology professor.

The southern California population of Brown Pelicans starts their northbound journey from the areas around Baja, California where they breed. They fly as far as British Columbia, scouring the coast for food during their journey.  They usually just fly over the San Francisco Bay Area while traveling, but will take advantage of the area if food is available.

Gress said there have recently been some die-offs among young Brown Pelicans at San Diego. Starving and emaciated birds are brought to rehabilitation centers for treatment. 

According to Gress, this year there was an abundance of young birds hatched, so half of the fledglings will die due to natural and environmental causes.

"In a sense, the pelicans were victims of their own success," Gress said.

When wildlife populations exceed their carrying capacity (the population level that a habitat can support), die-offs may occur. Even though it is a bumper year for anchovies, the Brown Pelican's preferred food, biologists say the anchovies may be swimming farther away from the coast or too deep in the ocean for the Brown Pelicans to reach.

William J. Sydeman, of the Point Reyes Bird Observatory, confirmed the increase in the Brown Pelican population.

Brown Pelicans have recently been found in fishermen's nets at Santa Cruz and inland, when young pelicans confuse highways for waterways.

Though still on the endangered species list, Brown Pelicans provide an example of a conservation success story. When the pesticide DDT was banned in 1972, the endangered Brown Pelican made a recovery. The chemical DDT reduced the thickness of the Brown Pelican's eggs, resulting in pre-birth mortality.

Though awkward in appearance, pelicans are adept as diving birds and group formation flyers. They are distinguished from other coastal birds by their large size and large bill, which has an expandable pouch, which can hold three gallons. They are roughly four feet long and can have a wingspan of seven feet.

According to the Peterson Field Guide, pelicans only eat fish, which they catch by diving from as high as 60 feet.

The White Pelican, which can be found at the SF Zoo, is a different species. While Brown Pelicans are a marine species, White Pelicans are usually found on inland bodies of water.

The Brown Pelican can also be found nesting in Central and South America, the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern United States.