A recent sighting of a banded Brown Pelican with nestlings inspires hope for the success of wildlife rehabilitation efforts with this recently delisted species. This is the first confirmed sighting of one of International Bird Rescue's rehabilitated Brown Pelicans on a nest with offspring.
Though the organization has been banding birds in collaboration with the USGS Bird Banding Lab for most of its 46 years, it only started using these more visible blue bands in 2009, the same year Brown Pelicans were removed from the Federal Endangered Species List. The blue bands have drastically increased the ability to track rehabilitation success with sightings demonstrating normal foraging, migration and now breeding post-release into the wild.
"This sighting of 'E17' is confirmation of our work at International Bird Rescue," exclaims JD Bergeron, Executive Director. "To see a former patient rejoining the breeding population is an encouraging sign of the success of our efforts, and a reminder of the importance of wildlife rehabilitation."
Brown Pelican "E17" was rehabilitated and banded at Bird Rescue's Los Angeles Wildlife Center. Julie Skoglund, Operations Manager, recounts that this pelican in particular was an unusual case in which the flight feathers that support the bird's ability to fly had been clipped short. The pelican was released in October 2010.
The photo was captured off the coast of Mexico on San Jeronimo Island by Emmanuel Miramontes, a biologist working with GECI A.C. (Group of Ecology and Conservation of Islands), a Mexican nonprofit organization. San Jeronimo is located off the coast of Baja California – more than 300 miles from E17's release point in San Pedro, CA.
Bergeron added, "It's doubly interesting because this bird is a male, and what Emmanuel has captured is actually a photo of a doting dad."
In a world where bad news abounds, we're happy to report this inspiring story.
If you spot wildlife that appears debilitated, please visit our website for instructions on finding help for the animal: https://www.bird- rescue.org/contact/found-a-bird/helping-a-debilitated-bird.aspx
You can report blue-banded Brown Pelicans here: https://www.bird- rescue.org/contact/found-a-bird/reporting-a-banded-bird.aspx
Other banded birds can be reported to the USGS Bird Banding Lab:
https://www.reportband.gov/
About International Bird Rescue: International Bird Rescue ("Bird Rescue") has been helping seabirds and other aquatic birds around the world since 1971. Our team of specialists operates two year-round aquatic bird rehabilitation centers in California, which care for more than 5,000 birds every year. Bird Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to mitigating human impact on sea and water birds.
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Learn more at https://bird-rescue.org/
