State wildlife experts perplexed by sick and dying California brown pelicans
FAIRFIELD -- Wildlife experts across the state are trying to unravel the mystery of what's killing California brown pelicans as the birds turn up sick and dying in large numbers along the coast.
The problem is particularly bad in Southern California, but there are fears that it could be heading towards the Bay Area.
At the Fairfield International Bird Rescue facility, staff members already have their hands full with baby birds, like a set of double-crested cormorants rescued from a disturbed nest in San Mateo County.
"This is a busy time of year for us," said International Bird Rescue Russ Curtis. "It's baby bird season. We have over 200 birds at this Northern California facility."
"Those babies are so young that they are getting hand fed every half an hour to keep them nice and hydrated and full of fish," said Kelly Beffa as she cared for the birds. "So it's a lot of calories that we are giving them. It's a lot of manpower."
But the growing concern here is pelicans. Specifically, the California brown pelican.
"We believe that because they are having a hard time finding their proper fish to eat; that they are actually making sudden moves at fishing piers or around where fishermen are working," Curtis explained. "And they're getting caught up in the fishing lines."
Across the state, these birds are showing up underfed, sick, or injured. No one is entirely sure why. It's thought to be a disturbance in the food supply.
The problem has become a full scale crisis in Southern California. The rescue center near Los Angeles is currently overwhelmed with hundreds of pelicans.
"Federal and state authorities are looking into it, to find out what, scientifically, is happening to their feeding grounds and what may be impacting them," Curtis said of the pelicans' struggles. "We are looking at a climate that is changing. We see birds trying to adapt. And we're not sure if this is a fishing issue or some other scientific thing that we have yet to discover."
While the problem isn't as bad in Northern California, there is concern that the crisis will migrate up the coast. Preparations are now being made to handle more pelicans if that does, in fact, happen. But the good news is that most birds respond very well to the kind of help they're getting here.
"Hopefully, with that little jumpstart of nutrition and some good medicine, they can go back to the wild and do what they need to do," Curtis said.
Every bird that leaves the facility will be banded, so their progress can be tracked. If you do see a bird that's struggling, keep your distance and contact animal control.
