Scientists are enlisting the help of citizens to count California brown pelicans along the Pacific Coast this Saturday, May 7, between the hours of 5 and 7 p.m. They are hoping that the data collected will allow them to track the health of pelican populations and understand how pelicans are adapting to a changing climate.
About 60 years ago, the iconic California brown pelican almost completely disappeared from the Pacific Coast. The then-widespread insecticide, DDT, was altering the composition of pelican eggshells, making them so thin that the eggs would crack before the chick inside was ready to hatch. After DDT was banned from use in 1972, brown pelican populations recovered, and the bird was officially removed from the Endangered Species List in 2009. But soon after, experts discovered a new problem.
In recent years, far fewer pelicans have been observed coupling on the islands that serve as their breeding grounds. Scientists believe that warmer waters caused by short-term climate changes have driven away sardines, anchovies, and other fish species pelicans feed upon, turning breeding grounds into food deserts. Without a nearby source of food, adult pelicans are unable to nourish both their young and themselves through the breeding season.