Brown pelicans are starving across California. Wildlife experts think they know why
It's happening again, Bergeron thought.
For the third time in four years, brown pelicans around California appear to be ailing. Over the past month, more than 100 malnourished and struggling birds have been brought to the nonprofit's Bay Area and Southern California wildlife centers, said Bergeron, International Bird Rescue's CEO.
The birds are arriving listless and starving, and are being found in places out of their habitat: parking lots, backyards and even a tattoo shop. Many sport additional injuries, probably caused by fishing hooks or lines.
'There's been semi-regular problems with brown pelicans,' he said. 'These large population crashes result in lots of birds coming in for care. Fortunately, many can be saved.'
Bergeron and others believe climate change is warming water close to the ocean surface — sending the fish that pelicans eat deeper and out of their reach, leading to skinny, malnourished and disoriented birds.
The phenomenon marks a potentially worrying setback for a species that has struggled over the years and spent decades on the endangered species list due to exposure to DDT, a synthetic pesticide that weakened eggshells, causing their breeding numbers to plummet. It wasn't until 2009 that brown pelicans were removed from the list.
Last year, the Bay Area rescue center and its Southern California counterpart treated hundreds of malnourished pelicans, which wildlife officials attributed to a late spring storm that made fishing extremely difficult for the birds.
A similar starvation happened in spring 2022, when almost 800 pelicans were admitted into wildlife facilities and close to 400 were returned to the wild, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
This year's wave of malnourished pelicans came as the bird sanctuary was already dealing with an onslaught of birds suffering from poisoning from domoic acid, caused by algal blooms.
Then, dozens of young pelicans started arriving at International Bird Rescue's wildlife centers. By the end of March, the center was treating 41 birds, including many that hatched this year, Bergeron said. Large numbers of fledgling pelicans can point to a strong breeding year, but he and others worry that the domoic acid bloom may have poisoned parent pelicans, causing fledglings to leave their nests in search of food.
More pelicans kept arriving in April, but many of those did not seem to be suffering from domoic acid, he said.
'It took us a minute to realize, 'Uh-oh, it's transitioning,'' he said. 'We were nervous, having had challenges in 2022 and 2024, we thought, 'Maybe this is something cyclical,' but … this happening the very next year wasn't on any of our radars.'
Bergeron and others are concerned that fish are swimming deeper to escape warming ocean waters, out of pelicans' reach. Other animals that eat the same fish don't seem to be suffering.
'There are changes in the ocean resulting in pelicans not being able to feed the way they historically have,' he said.
Now, the birds are gorging — they can eat their body weight in fish every day — and the influx of birds has Bergeron's staff working long hours, scrambling to make sure it has enough food, medicine and other supplies to care for its patients.
'We're clearly not out of the woods,' Bergeron said. 'We need to dig deeper and figure out what are the root causes of this problem and how do we fix that.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
13-08-2025
- CBS News
Southern California wildlife officials investigating "unusual surge" in sick and dying seagulls
Wildlife officials are investigating an "unusual surge" in sick and dying seagulls being found along the Southern California coastline in recent weeks. The International Bird Rescue, located in San Pedro, says that since July 25, they've received 16 Western Gulls exhibiting symptoms like dehydration, difficulty standing, partial or complete paralysis, confusion and difficulty blinking. The most severely sickened birds are also showing respiratory distress. "Some birds have been found dead on beaches," said a release from the organization. "Initial tests for bird flu on three of the earliest cases were negative; results from more recent cases are pending." In the nearly month-long span that they've been receiving patients with similar symptoms, International Bird Rescue officials say that birds have been found on a stretch of coastline ranging from Malibu and Venice to the Redondo Beach in the South Bay. The discoveries mark just another series of illnesses in a troubling trend for Los Angeles County wildlife since the start of 2025. In February, dozens of sickened sea lions were hospitalized by a massive domoic acid outbreak and in April wildlife officials were overwhelmed by a large amount of brown pelicans who were also poisoned by domoic acid. In Venice, near the famous canals, at least six dogs were dead and dozens of others ill due to a mystery illness that is still being investigated by public health officials. Anyone who notices a seagull acting strangely or showing signs that they're having trouble walking or standing is urged to call the Bird HelpLie at (866) 767-2473.
Yahoo
09-08-2025
- Yahoo
Wild pigs are turning up with 'neon blue' flesh in California. Authorities sound the alarm
Dan Burton has trapped hundreds of wild pigs for clients of his wildlife control company in Salinas, but even he was startled when he cut one of them open and found blue meat inside. "I'm not talking about a little blue," said Burton, owner of Urban Trapping Wildlife Control. "I'm talking about neon blue, blueberry blue." Burton relayed the disturbing discovery to Monterey County officials and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The agency is now warning trappers and hunters to keep an eye out for possibly contaminated wildlife in the area, and not to consume the tainted meat, over concerns the blue meat is a sign that the animal may have consumed poison. "It's just wild," Burton said. The startling find of wild pigs with bright blue tissue in Monterey County suggests the animals have been exposed to anticoagulant rodenticide diphacinone, a popular poison used by farmers and agriculture companies to control the population of rats, mice, squirrels and other small animals, according to a statement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. "Hunters should be aware that the meat of game animals, such as wild pig, deer, bear and geese, might be contaminated if that game animal has been exposed to rodenticides," said Ryan Bourbor, pesticide investigations coordinator with the state agency. Officials are urging hunters not to consume any meat from an animal with signs of the blue pigmentation in their meat or fat, and to report the find to officials. Predators and people who eat animals that were poisoned by diphacinone can suffer "secondary exposure" to the poison because the substance can remain for a time in the organs and tissue of the poisoned animal. "Generally, more than one feeding is needed to receive a toxic dose," according to a 2023 study, but people and animals that consume the substance can start feeling the effects of the poison, including signs of lethargy. Read more: Why are scientists dressing pigs in clothes and burying them in Mexico? Another study published in 2011 found that cooking meat tainted with diphacinone had little effect on the concentration of the poison, and recommended that "consumption of pig meat obtained from areas with active rodent control programs should be avoided." The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it became aware of the wild pigs' exposure to rat poison in March, when a trapper in Monterey County reported finding several wild pigs with blue muscle and fat. The agency's Wildlife Health Lab found diphacinone in the stomach and liver of one pig, according to a statement from the agency. Rodenticide baits are often dyed so they can be identified as poison, and the unusual blue-colored muscle is a sign that the animal may have eaten the poison, or eaten an animal that had been exposed to the poison. Officials also warn that the blue coloring may not always be present in animals that have been exposed. The rodenticide can pose a problem for farmers and agriculture companies that use it to control animals that can destroy or damage crops, but they end up poisoning other wild animals as well, Bourbor said. Burton said his company discovered the affected animals when it was hired by an agriculture firm in late February and March to trap wild pigs that were going into the firm's fields. His company traps the pigs and then euthanizes them according to state law, he said. He usually donates the carcasses and meat of the pigs to low-income families. But in this case, the pigs were found with bright blue meat and fat when they were cut open. Read more: Poisoned pelicans fly again after the worst algal bloom in a decade "I thought, OK, that's weird," Burton said. Burton said he investigated to try to figure out how the pigs' meat had become tainted and found that the animals appeared to be targeting squirrel bait stations in the field, which were being used to control the squirrel population. "These pigs were seeking [the bait traps] out," Burton said. "I saw them trying to flip it over, breaking them, trying to get access to the poison." The pigs that were consuming the poisoned bait were not immediately dying because they were consuming bait meant to kill much smaller animals, Burton said. The pigs, which Burton said weighed between 100 and 200 pounds, appeared to be acting normally even though their tissue was visibly affected by the poison. The poison is also not fast-acting even for small animals, which can stay alive for several days before the poison takes effect, he said. The pigs were submitted for testing and found to have been exposed to the poison over an extended period. Meanwhile, the firm that hired Burton's company pulled the squirrel traps off the field, Burton said, out of concern that it was drawing in groups of the pigs. "Our concern is we're seeing multiple animals doing it," Burton said. Diphacinone is mostly prohibited across California, unless it is used by a certified vector control technician, government agency, or at agricultural sites, according to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. The prohibition became effective in 2024 as part of a law aimed at protecting wildlife from exposure to the poison. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, a 2018 study found that about 8.3% of wild pigs tested had traces of anticoagulant rodenticide residue. Burton said his main concern was that young hunters might not be aware of the signs to look for when hunting the pigs. The agency asks anyone who comes across an animal with blue fat or tissue to contact officials at whlab@ or (916) 358-2790. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
07-08-2025
- New York Post
Wild pigs in California develop ‘bright blue' skin after exposure to pesticides with rat poison: officials
Swarms of wild pigs in California developed blue flesh after ingesting pesticides containing rat poison — and officials warned other common game animals may also be infected. The feral hogs in Monterey County were exposed to a type of pesticide bait containing the anticoagulant rodenticide Diphacinone, a type of rat poison that prevents blood clotting and forces internal bleeding, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said. Hunters are finding pigs with blue innards in California. imgur/GlendilTEK Advertisement The swine could've accidentally consumed the pesticide via dyed bait or even other prey that might've already been infected with it. The California wild pigs, a hybrid between domestic swine and feral boars, are omnivores that feed on anything from grass to other bits of animal matter, including mice, according to the CDFW. Any animal, from the pigs to geese and even bears, could be infected, according to the CDFW. Advertisement The department noted that it first received reports of the pigs' bizarre intestinal discoloration in March, but noted that not all contaminated pigs have the glaring blue innards, especially depending on when they consumed the pesticide. 'It's wild. I'm not talking about a little blue. I'm talking about neon blue, blueberry blue,' Dan Burton, owner of Urban Trapping Wildlife Control, who first reported the oddly coloured flesh, told The Los Angeles Times. The wild pigs are present in 56 of California's 58 counties, according to the CDFW. Officials suspect the pigs could've ingested dyed bait containing the pesticide. California Department of Fish and Wildlife Advertisement A 2018 study by the University of Nebraska found that the rat poison residue was present in over 8 percent of the wild pig tissue samples collected from populations near agricultural and residential areas that used pesticides or rodenticides. In the same study, a staggering 83 percent of bear tissue collected was also contaminated by the poison. Pesticides used outdoors often create runoff after excessive rainfall or poor application and trickle into nearby bodies of water. It primarily infects aquatic life first, but the domino effect only continues as predators that consume the fish spread the chemicals through the food chain.
