March 1, 2004 6:26 AM

All we need is an aircraft carrier for these things to land on....

Rescued pelicans thrive after being found emaciated: Cold weather affected food supply for 16 young birds in Seabrook

I looked out on to the lake in our backyard yesterday morning, only to see something with roughly the wing span of an F-14 circling over the water. Over the past few days, two brown pelicans have graced us with their presence. Given that the usual occupants are limited to water moccasins, ducks, turtles, and the occasional alligator, these pelicans are quite a sight- large, graceful, and imperial.

It's been a tough winter for the pelicans here, unfortunately. It's been a bit colder than usual in these parts, and the fish that the pelicans feed on have been harder to find as they swim deeper in colder waters.

The 16 birds were emaciated and sickly when Sharon Smaltz and other volunteers with the Wildlife Rehab and Education group rounded them up along The Point in Seabrook. The birds, which are on the endangered species list, were so malnourished and cold that some couldn't even be enticed to bits of salmon.

The birds also were full of parasites and roundworms, Smaltz said.

Brown pelicans, which have enormous bills and expandable throat pouches to catch fish, delight bird watchers when they dive head-first into the water to catch their prey. Fish experts say recent cold weather has driven fish to deeper water but the young brown pelicans haven't followed their food supply.

"It is a normal occurrence here," said Tom Lane with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. "They are juvenile, and they are still learning how to feed. This is a common problem this time of the year."

Lane said the birds -- a dozen of which were rescued Feb. 4, followed by four others Feb. 5 -- were about 6 months old and not able to fend for themselves. Cold weather and gusty winds also contributed to the birds' malnourishment, he said.

While some birds were rescued, thirteen brown pelicans were found dead. One of the rescued birds died the first night in captivity.

This time of year, it's easy for young pelicans to become spoiled by the "trash" fish discarded by shrimp boats as they return to their moorings in Old Seabrook harbor. With the cold, inclement weather we've experienced this winter, shrimpers have spent more time moored at the docks and less at sea. This means that there is less available, easily obtainable food for young pelicans.

Brown pelicans are still officially listed as an endangered species, though you'd never know it along the Texas Gulf Coast this time of year. Seeing them in our lake is, and I hope will always remain, a truly awe-inspiring sight. Before long, when the weather begins to warm, they will be on their way to wherever it is that they go. In the meantime, though, they're an amazing sight to behold. I just hope that our lack of "hospitality" this winter won't keep them from returning next year.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 1, 2004 6:26 AM.

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