Global Warming and Pelicans...

I'm not sure what to make of this story... it could just be an isolated incident, perhaps not. I've thought Pelicans a smarter-than-average bird... quite the fishermen too, comical as well as beautiful, masters of offshore thermal soaring.

Well it seems their range may be increasing, or at least they are perhaps ranging farther than they have in past, in search of food or environmental conditions to their liking.

P.E.I., a Canadian East coast province has had an unusual sighting... a Pelican rumoured to be sighted in several NE US states too, some think it's the same bird as it is a large healthy "majestic" specimen.

I was wondering whether this Pelican is exploring new uncontested turf as our environment warms... kind of a Darwinian response or whether the East Coast fish stocks to the South are exhausted and this bird is simply trying to feed his large airframe.

It's kind of nice for a change to have a story where an animal isn't doing badly, (cough, cough, choke, hack, sneeze, dabs runny eyes; bad smog day in Toronto) by all informed accounts this "super-stork" is 100% healthy. Go figure.

Thanx,

Victor K.

[edit on 31-5-2006 by V Kaminski]

It's kind of nice for a change to have a story where an animal isn't doing badly, (cough, cough, choke, hack, sneeze, dabs runny eyes; bad smog day in Toronto) by all informed accounts this "super-stork" is 100% healthy. Go figure.

Ya tell me about it. My asthma is killing me today. It was really bad when the TTC went on strike.

Remember the Fuss about the Zebra Mussels way back in the 90s? Well it turns out that they have been a net benefit to the biodiversity of the great lakes as well as the added benefit of their waste filtration abilities. My opinion is that it's a Darwinian response just like in the case of the Zebra Mussels.

I find nothing comforting about this story... That pelican shouldn't be there.

I love this part:

Christie said the bird is normally found in western North America and nests on the Prairies. He believes the pelican was sent off course by unusual weather, and may end up in northern Cape Breton or the Magdalen Islands next.

Ummmm....What unusual weather would that be?

Nice find, V Kaminski!


[edit on 31-5-2006 by loam]

Yeah, thanx loam I'm rather flattered. It kinda "stuck out" for me, thought it might for others here in the ATS community commonwealth too.

What you point out does make absolute sense to me, this is a big, big bird (9 foot wing span)... one that soars too, and big kites fly away much more vigorously than small kites...

I wonder if we'll hear more sightings of this fellow and it would be interesting to see his or her eventual destination this season... next season? I'll keep an eye open and hope for a great big "nest" with a healthy egg or two...

Thanx again,

Victor K.

[edit on 31-5-2006 by V Kaminski]