Photo by Paul Roberts
To find its food, the brown pelican uses some impressive
talents. It has such keen eyesight that it can spot and dive
for even a single fish from as high as 60 to 70 feet above the
water. Air sacs beneath the skin of its breast act as cushions
when the bird hits the water and help it to come up to the
surface after its dive. Fortunately, despite a widely repeated
myth, a brown pelican does not lose its eyesight from the
impact of its dramatic plunges. In addition to diving for
its food, when a large school of fish is swimming near the
surface, a brown pelican may float nearby and simply seize its
prey with its bill. Hunting for food is done during the day or,
occasionally, by the light of a full moon.
While today Kiawah beachgoers can enjoy frequent pelican
sightings, the brown pelican was not always so abundant. The
use of DDT starting in the 1940s triggered a large decline in
its population by causing eggs to have very thin shells. Parents
incubate their eggs by warming them with the skin of their
feet—essentially standing on them—and the thin shells could
not support this weight. By 1970, the brown pelican had been
declared an endangered species. In 1972, the Environmental
Protection Agency banned the use of DDT and restricted the
use of other pesticides. As a result, the population increased
to the degree that by 1985, the brown pelican in the Eastern
United States was no longer considered an endangered
species. Continued success for this species requires space to
breed away from human and animal interferences.
In March mating season begins for local brown pelicans.
Pairs frequently use designated bird sanctuaries, such as
Crab Bank in the Charleston Harbor and Deveaux Bank at
the mouth of the North Edisto River, to nest and raise their
young in large colonies. On small islands like these, parents
can avoid disturbance from humans and land-based animals
such as bobcats that might prey on their eggs and chicks.
They build nests on the ground or in bushes or trees. The
chicks begin leaving ground nests at about four weeks. If the
nest is in a bush or tree, they usually stay until reaching 11 or
12 weeks of age, when they are able to fly. Much like human
children, the chicks love to play and enjoy taking apart the
nest or throwing and fetching sticks or shells.
Like us, the brown pelican needs its sleep (and likes to
slumber on offshore islands). But unlike us, it has no need for
a pillow. The brown pelican simply turns its head 180 degrees
and rests it on its back for a comfortable night’s rest. What a
wonderful bird indeed. NK
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