Liberty's Blog

Galveston Pelicans Return in Smaller Numbers

Ike took its toll on on the bird population, so the Brown Pelicans numbers too a bit of a beating The Galveston Daily News has a story about the return of our favorite bird.

The island’s famous brown pelicans returned to nest after Hurricane Ike wreaked havoc on their habitats, but they are arriving in fewer numbers than last year, bird watchers said.

Pelican habitats took a beating during Hurricane Ike. North Deer Island, once home to 40,000 birds of 17 species, lost one-third of its vegetation in the storm. It is still covered in debris, said Winnie Burkett, Houston Audubon Society’s sanctuary manager.

Despite the devastated habitat, pelicans have returned to roost there, with some building nests among the debris, she said.

At last count, there were 800 to 1,000 pelicans nesting on the 144-acre North Deer Island, down from 2,400 last year, she said.

Still, the return of brown pelicans is a hopeful sign to Burkett.

“It makes you feel very good,” she said. “We know the system repairs itself. It’s good to see that it’s doing that. Somehow or another, all those pelicans survived that storm, which I think is truly amazing.”

There’s not much humans can do to entice more pelicans to return, Burkett said. The natural vegetation will return, but it will take time — probably longer than expected due to the ongoing drought, she said.

posted by Liberty @ 6:50 AM