Hungry Pelicans Hit the Streets

can you remove that annoying crap above (or wherever it appears) ? it's obviously advertising and nothing to do with the story.

Too true about the pelicans --- except that the first paragraph is in error. The bait barge is not a food source for the pelicans but a place for them to roost, to rest safe from people and dogs on the beach.

The birds fend for themselves for food, although this extended rain and very muddy waters have made fishing very difficult to impossible for the birds. It's a vicious circle: no food and they weaken so that they have a hard time hunting for food.

Even so, feeding them at the harbor, if anyone is tempted, is not a good to thing to do since it acclimates them to being fed ...and getting hooked.

Pelicans and humans definitely weren't made to coexist like this.

The story is inaccurate. Nearly the same thing, only more severe, happened last year. The adult pelicans that normally should be heading South from Oregon, are once again lingering and arriving in weakened conditions. The storms add to their debilitation. It has absolutely nothing to do with the bait barge. And, another misconception in the article is that Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network has the only pelican rehabilitation facility on the central coast. The fact is that International Bird Rescue, with its 2 huge aquatic bird facilities, is taking in the majority of birds in Northern CA and Los Angeles region, and relieved the overburdened Santa Barbara facility from at least twenty birds - taking on the cost of their care. In SLO County, Pacific Wildlife cares for pelicans. There are MANY wildlife organizations up and down the coast responding to this event which extends far and wide.

That's correct but the IBRRC is not on the Central Coast, but in San Pedro. Indeed, they are taking in some of the Santa Barbara pelicans, as did their Cordelia branch! And doubtless the Pacific Wildlife Care is also struggling to help; they, too, have serious funding issues. It is a struggle for the wildlife care organizations. The SBWCN is the only wildlife care organization for Santa Barbara coast, also taking in seabirds from Ventura.

It's not at all the same thing as last year. There are fewer pelicans here, for one thing, this year. Quite a few pelicans have been observed in the bay area flying north to Oregon where, in the Newport area, there is a lot of food — and there are a lot of pelicans and sea lions that usually would have been south. For another, this series of storms was unusually strong and long-lasting.

The bait barge is a roosting place, that's all -- but that's important as anyone who's been around Sea Landing during the rains would observe. No blame or criticism intended here. Had the barge not been removed, it would have been destroyed.

When the SBWCN permanent facility gets finished on Fairview, the care will be expanded --- assuming, that is, there can be volunteers for this primarily volunteer-operated organization. To help, call 681-1080.

"Pelicans and humans definitely weren't made to coexist like this."
--AZ2SB

What in the world are you talking about? "Made" by whom? "Like this" means like what? What kind of coexistence were we made for?

Can you try to coexist with a sensible comment?

In an article about birds, interesting that we get some fly by night comments.

When anyone feeds the birds, the word gets around and all the birds show up. Feeding pelicans will just cause them to turn into seagulls which we know are just flying rats. We dont need flocks of pelicans hanging out at the dumpsters behind the grocery stores and donut shoppes.

Pelicans wouldn't be likely to hang out around dumpsters, but if fed at the waterfront or harbor or Stearns Wharf, they would hang out there, begging and lunging at fishermen/fishing line or just visitors, ending up getting hooked or with wings wrapped in fishing line. The end result of such injuries is too often very bad.

Some of us, with the cooperation of Frank at the Bait Shop and with the Waterfront Dept, have worked hard to prevent this. It may seem a kindness to feed the wild but it, too often, is not. If you want to feed, feed your backyard birds, not the truly wild ones.

I remember reading in the Independent, about a person or group that spent their time 'hacking' the beaks of Pelicans with a machettie or other large cutting tool, after what was stated the birds were seeking food from the Wharf and harbor or from fishermen. This charactor was never caught or found so with these birds hungry and needy, this creep will be back their old tricks very soon, keep an eye out for half or all beakless Pelicans.