Ocean Sentry
A rash of brown pelican deaths and illnesses was probably caused by a severe mid-December storm in the Pacific Northwest, state wildlife officials believe. An estimated 400 birds turned up dead, injured or sick along the California coast beginning about Dec. 19. The episode has largely faded, state officials said. “It doesn”t appear severe (poisoning) or disease appears to be doing this. It appears to be more weather-injury and nutrition-related,” said David Jessup, senior wildlife veterinarian for the California Department of Fish and Game.
Sick and dead birds began showing up in the Bay Area and Monterey a week before Christmas, and days later began turning up in the Los Angeles area. Wildlife rescue officials and others initially feared the problem might be an outbreak of domoic acid, a toxic product of algae in the ocean, or disease.
(From mercurynews.com – California – By Mike Taugher)
