Greenwire: Poor weather and fish shortages related to El Niño are the likely reason that hundreds of ill pelicans have become stranded on the Oregon and California coasts this winter, California wildlife officials said yesterday.
Disease and environmental toxins have been ruled out as likely causes of the illnesses, officials from the California Department of Fish and Game said.
The officials described the illnesses as a “cyclical event,” suggesting the struggling birds may have flown too far north during their annual migration. When those birds returned to California, weaker than usual, they encountered chilly weather and smaller-than-average populations of prey such as anchovies and sardines, the officials said.
Hundreds of the birds have been cleaned, warmed and fed at rescue centers, but about a third of them have died as have others that were not taken in by rescuers. Rescue groups continue to receive calls, though reports of ailing birds have fallen in recent weeks (Jill Leovy, Los Angeles Times, Feb. 22). – GN