Saving Pelicans
On a recent trip to the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier with Friends of the Pelicans (https://www.friendsofthepelicans.org/), we found nine injured pelicans, and one great blue heron which we failed to catch and save. All had fishing hooks in them. Many were entangled in fishing lines. One had a mysterious head injury. Volunteers from Friends of the Pelicans caught the birds and removed the hooks. Eight of them still had to be taken to a bird hospital. Out of respect for these birds, each of the ones I got pictures of will get a separate observation.
How can you help?
- If you hook a pelican (or another bird), Never cut the line! Cut off the hook’s barb and back the hook out of the bird.
- If you find a bird in need of assistance or hospitalization, call a licensed wildlife rescue center.
- While fishing, be aware of birds in the area.
- Never feed pelicans. Feeding them will make them more likely to beg from fishers and put them at higher risk for entanglement.
If you are on a tall pier, don’t try to reel in the bird. Use a cast-net to catch it.
Thank you everyone for caring about our pelicans!