Pelicans are unique birds with big bills with giant pouches, to catch several fish at once. There are 8 species worldwide, and all are some of the largest birds on earth. Whereas most birds have one toe facing backwards, all the webbed toes of pelicans face forward, which is why they swim well but walk clumsily on land. They also have huge wingspans, so fly well.
Pelicans feed their chicks up to 30 times a day, so it’s important that their habitats have good fish stocks. Other threats to pelicans are hunting, but mostly habitat loss, fishing waste and oil pollution. In May 2024, hundreds of emaciated pelicans were found on the Californian coast, found to be anaemic and dehydrated. A non-profit took them into care, and found that around 40% of the pelicans also had injuries from fishing line and hooks.
Marine biologists were at a loss to know why the birds were starving, due to there plenty of fish in the sea. They now think it’s due to rising sea temperatures, which is causing some fish to move, so pelicans cannot die deep enough to find them, and surface waves also obscure the visibility of pelicans being able to see their natural food.
Volunteers worldwide are also rescuing pelicans covered in oil from spills, then rehabilitating them, before releasing them back into the ocean. Which is why it’s important to keep them clean, so the same doesn’t happen again.
Even in England, we can help pelicans by switching from everything made with oil. Not just fossil fuels, but also moving away from synthetic fabrics (polyester and nylon) and anything plastic (also made from oil).
