A non-profit wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center reports seeing an increase in distressed pelicans over the last month.
"We've had 50 pelicans brought to Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network since the beginning of March, which is a lot for one month," explained the organization's executive director, Ariana Katovich.
"We're seeing an age range of pelicans that are needing help," she noted. "A lot of these came in, if not all, dehydrated and emaciated, and several of them with secondary wounds, injuries to their feet, or they were caught in fishing lines."
"When (the) birds come in, they're given weight (and) temperature checks, and when they're able to stabilize their systems and maintain their body temperatures, they get to come out here. A lot of them are on medications," said Katovich.
"They have big trays of fish, so they can go and scoop out the fish. Pelicans of this size can eat over 120 fish at a feeding. So we're constantly ordering fish," she added.
If you’ve been on one of our beaches recently, you might have encountered a dead pelican or one in distress. But it’s not just pelicans in need of help; there’s also an increase in other species like cormorants.
Katovich said it’s just too early to speculate on the cause.
"There are a lot of reports of deceased birds, and seeing that numericity is unusual," she said.
"We're seeing birds that do come to our clinic are dehydrated, emaciated, and hypothermic. They're not eating enough, and they can't regulate their own body temperature," she said.
"It's hard to say if that's the reason why there are deceased birds on the beach, but when we have these sorts of large starvation events, and that leads to large mortality, it certainly is concerning. Pelicans are incredible. They're very athletic, majestic, and prehistoric. They sort of look like dinosaurs, and they're a tremendous success story in conservation. The California Brown Pelican was on the endangered species list, and they're just an incredible success story when thousands of them hatch each year off the Channel Islands."
Katovic pointed out that, as well as rescuing and treating sick pelicans, it’s the busy wildlife baby season, which can lead to many more admissions of young animals.
"The most important part for us as a wildlife rehabilitation facility is that we are resourced and ready for whatever happens. So right now it's pelicans, and tomorrow it could be a litter of coyote pups. Or it could be an injured bobcat. So we have to be ready for whatever lies ahead and whatever comes through our door," she said.
If you see a pelican in distress in Santa Barbara or Ventura counties, you can call the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network helpline at 805-681-1080.
If a pelican exhibits signs of neurologic distress (falling over, losing balance, seizing, etc.), network officials advise that you do not handle the animal. Call them and wait for assistance.
They also warn that such animals should never be touched with bare hands. If you're able to rescue the animal without touching it, you can call the network for guidance.
If you find a deceased animal, the network encourages you to call them and report its location.
