Brown Pelican Recovers From Near Extinction
Majestic Birds Flying off the Endangered Species List
Nov 15, 2009
In 1970, when the brown pelicans were declared in danger of extinction, there were fewer than 1,000 breeding pairs. Today, thanks in part to a ban on DDT, the brown pelican population has soared to an estimated 650,000 birds, a tremendous comback that has led to their removal from the Endangered Species List.
"At a time when so many species of wildlife are threatened, we once in a while have an opportunity to celebrate an amazing success story," said Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior in a press release on November 11, 2009. "Today is such a day. The brown pelican is back."
Nearly Decimated by DDT
Brown pelicans, best known for their huge, expandable pouches that hang below their long bills, have been facing pressures since the late 1800s, when their feathers were used extensively in the fashion industry to decorate women's hats. But the biggest threat came in the 1940s, when the pesticide DDT came into widespread use. The virulent insecticide washed out of agricultural fields and into the ocean, where it made its way through the food chain. When brown pelicans, who consume up to 4 pounds of fish daily, ate the tainted seafood, they began laying eggs that were so thin shelled that they broke during incubation. By the 1960s the huge aquatic birds, whose wingspans stretch up to seven feet, were a rare site off the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. So rare, that beach goers who spotted a brown pelican talked about it for days.
Recovery Linked to DDT Ban
The turnaround began in 1972, when DDT was banned. Thirteen years later, the pelican populations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and the Atlantic Seaboard had recovered enough to be removed from the list of endangered species. Now the brown pelican populations in Louisiana, as well as the Gulf and Pacific Coasts, have rebounded sufficiently enough that those populations can be removed from the protected list as well.
"After being hunted for its feathers, facing devastating effects from the pesticide DDT, and suffering from widespread coastal habitat loss, the pelican has made a remarkable recovery," said Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary for the Fish and Wildlife Service. "We once again see healthy flocks of pelicans in the air over our shores."
While bird lovers and environmentalists have begun celebrating the brown pelicans' recovery, its official removal from the endangered species list is not fully complete. That will come 30 days after the order is published in the Federal Register, But fans of the big birds can rest easy knowing the population of Pelecanus occidentalis has recovered and returned to its original ranges.
Strong Swimmers, Fantastic in Flight
Today, brown pelicans flock along the Atlantic Coast from Nova Scotia to Venezuela, and along the Pacific from British Columbia to south-central Chile. They also range throughout the Gulf Coast, and can be found on lakes and other bodies of water in Southern California, Florida and Arizona. Adults reach about four and a half feet in height, and can live for over 30 years.
Ungainly on land, with large webbed feet, brown pelicans are strong swimmers, and magnificent in flight. Social birds, they often congregate and fly in flocks, taking to the air to spot fish, which compromises the bulk of their diet. Known for their excellent eyesight, brown pelicans can spot fish in the water from a height of 70 feet.
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