PELICAN...PELICAN...cont.
flying
over
the
ocean,
sometimes
from
as
high
as
50
feet.
Brown pelicans are highly social birds that often congregate in large flocks throughout much
of the year. They also breed in large colonies, which may consist of several hundred pairs,
nesting in bushes, or in trees, usually on small estuarine islands where they can be free
from disturbance from terrestrial predators. Nests are typically little more than a shallow
depression built from grass or reeds, over interwoven sticks on supporting tree branches.
During the height of the plume trade in the late 1800s, the feathers of white
pelicans were in demand, though they were not as coveted as the delicate plumes
of herons and egrets. White pelicans and brown pelicans also suffered population
declines in the 1960’s and 1970’s due to death from direct exposure to pesticides
and from reproductive failure due to eggshell thinning. While populations have
recovered from chemical contamination, pelicans of both species are still vulnerable
to death and disfigurement resulting from entanglement in monofilament line.
Hook a pelican or shorebird?
Cut the line? Dead pelican!
by Mark Cramer, Wildlife Center in Venice
Pelican Friendly Fishing Tips & Rescue Instructions:
• Never feed pelicans - it is harmful and illegal.
• Reuse left over bait - freeze it or give it to other fishermen. Reel in your line if pelicans/
shorebirds are near.
• If a pelican flies into your line, free the spool so the pelican has a chance to slip the line.
17 | THE SAND DOLLAR