Spring Surge of Starving Brown Pelicans
This spring, wildlife rehabilitation centers all along the California coast were admitting a wave of emaciated Brown Pelicans, and Pacific Wildlife Care was no exception. Between mid-March and mid-June, we admitted 50 pelicans, the vast majority of them starving juveniles.
This wasn’t a one-time fluke. We’ve now seen a spring surge of underweight pelicans in three of the last four years. So what’s driving this concerning pattern?
What’s Behind the Pelican Surge?
While we can’t point to one single cause, experts and wildlife responders have identified several likely contributors. Warming ocean temperatures can push prey (like anchovies and sardines) deeper underwater, beyond the reach of diving pelicans. Storms and poor visibility make it harder to hunt. In especially windy springs, like in 2022, pelicans struggle to spot fish from above and can’t easily perform their plunge-dives they rely on to feed. Elsewhere along the coast, harmful algal blooms have exposed pelicans (and other wildlife) to neurotoxins like domoic acid. While we haven’t admitted an influx of pelicans affected by domoic acid here in San Luis Obispo County yet this year, it’s part of a broader picture of ecological stress. Climate change compounds all of these issues, intensifying ocean disruptions and extreme weather events.
Hunger Can Drive Pelicans into Unsafe Places
When pelicans are too weak to fish, they may wander into unusual (and dangerous!) places in search of a meal. Brown Pelicans are generally found strictly along the coast, but they were turning up in strange places, including one found six miles inland in Cambria and one wandering along Foothill Blvd in San Luis Obispo. In their desperation, some birds scavenge at piers, restaurants, or boats, increasing their risk of fishing gear injury, entanglement, and vehicle collisions.
How We Care for Starving Pelicans
When a pelican arrives at our clinic, our team moves fast. Starving birds are often dangerously cold, so we may first stabilize their body temperature in specialized heated enclosures (not something to try at home!). Once warm and stable enough, each patient receives a full medical exam and a personalized care plan. Depending on their condition, they may receive medications, IV fluids, or surgery to address injuries like broken bones, embedded fishing hooks, or entanglement from fishing line. Some birds are too weak to eat solid food and may be initially fed a specially-formulated, easily digestible liquid diet.
Once they’re ready to eat, we offer thawed capelin fish—and they eat a lot! A single pelican eats about 4 pounds of fish per day. As they gain strength and recover in our indoor enclosures, the birds eventually graduate to our outdoor seabird space, which features two pools and more room to rebuild stamina. Most spend three to four weeks in our care before they’re healthy and strong enough to return to the wild.
Back from the Brink
Brown Pelicans were once on the verge of extinction due to widespread use of the pesticide DDT, which entered the ocean through wastewater and accumulated in fish, the pelicans’ primary food source. When pelicans ate contaminated fish, DDT caused eggshell thinning and eggs would break during incubation, leading to widespread reproductive failure in the 1960s and 1970s. The species was one of the first listed under the Endangered Species Act and, following the ban of DDT in 1972, Brown Pelicans began to recover. In a remarkable conservation success story, the species was removed from the endangered species list in 2009. While their numbers have rebounded, Brown Pelicans remain vulnerable to pollution, habitat loss, and fish shortages, making continued protection essential.
Brown Pelicans take 3 to 5 years to reach sexual maturity and can live a long time (oldest recorded was more than 40!). By rehabilitating starving or injured juveniles, we’re not just helping individual birds but also helping to buffer the long-term health of the entire population. Every pelican we release has the potential to thrive, reproduce, and carry this iconic species into the future.
Want to Help? Cast Your Support!
This spring’s influx of starving pelicans has devoured our fish supply…and we still have many mouths to feed!
We’ve already placed an emergency order for 6,350 pounds of fish to restock our supply, and now we would greatly appreciate help covering the $13,500 cost. It takes about 100 pounds of fish to rehabilitate just one pelican. Your donation helps to ensure every hungry patient gets the food they need to recover. Donate today!
If you see an injured wild animal, please call our wildlife hotline at 805-543-9453 (WILD). We’re open every day of the year to help. Thank you for supporting local wildlife!
