Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, and Birds, all together, feeding, resting, and traveling. The direct connection between these species is real. Changes to their prey, the environment, and emerging diseases affect ALL these animals. OARRA continues to investigate this direct link between the birds and marine animals in a variety of ways while on the Survey and Monitoring Trips.
Why Birds?
Brown Pelican Band Sitings
OARRA, while on the water, surveys and monitors the brown pelicans and records and reports banded Brown Pelicans. Data from banded birds, like the data from flipper-tagged marine mammals, are used in monitoring populations, studying the effects of environmental contaminants, and addressing emerging diseases such issues as Avian Influenza.
2C3 (0769-00423) Subadult, male Brown Pelican: 7/28/22 Sighted by OARRA in Redondo Beach Harbor. Rescued on 5/17/2022 from Santa Barbara, CA. Stabilized and treated for anemia, dehydration, and emaciation at the Los Angeles International Bird Rescue Center (IBRC) in San Pedro, CA. Released on 7/13/2020 in San Pedro, CA.
5C1 (0769-00451): Subadult, male Brown Pelican. Sighted by OARRA 7/28/2022 at Redondo Beach, CA. Rescued on 5/14/2022 from Malibu, CA. Treated at IBRC for emaciation, parasites - mouth, and fracture toe on the left foot. Released on 7/22/2022 at San Pedro, CA.
5C3 (0769-00453): Adult, male Brown Pelican. OARRA sighted and recorded 5C3 on 8/3/22. Rescued 5/25/2022 from Ventura, Treated for fractures on the right metacarpals and toe on the right foot at the IBRC. Release on 7/22/2022 at San Pedro, CA.
6C5 (0769-00465): Sub-adult, the male Brown Pelican, sighted and recorded by OARRA on 7/28/22 in Redondo Beach Harbor. Rescued on 5/18/2022 from Malibu, CA. Treated at the IBRC for contamination with petroleum oil, a fish hook in the neck, esophagus wound, neck wound, and swollen left wrist. Released on 7/24/2022 at San Pedro, CA.
7C3 (0769-00473)*: Juvenile Brown Pelican. Sighted and recorded by OARRA on 7/28/2022 at Redondo Beach, CA. Rescued on 6/20/2022 from Culver City, CA. Treated for emaciation, hypothermia, thorns in feet, dehydration, contamination with petroleum oil, anemia, parasites - mouth, and pouch wound at IBRC San Pedro. Released on 7/26/2022 at San Pedro, CA. Sightings:
C30 was resighted by OARRA on 8/19/22 in Huntington Beach. C30 is the blue band longest record holder at 4683 days (12.8 yrs) since release! Released 10/23/2009 after treatment for a 13 cm pouch laceration. The bird was an after-third-year adult female at rehabilitation, so she is pushing at least 16 years old!
M43 (0689-00543): Adult, male Brown Pelican, resighted and reported by OARRA on 8/3/22 on the Dana Point Breakwater. M43 was stranded in Santa Cruz in 2012 as an after-third-year male, so he is now at least 13-14 years old! He was treated for a chest wound consistent with a bite from a California Sea Lion and a toe injury. Released back in Santa Cruz on 3/3/2012. He was last seen in San Mateo County a year ago.
N74 (0938-61274): Juvenile, Brown Pelican. sighed and reported by OARRA on 10/13/22 on Dana Point Ca breakwater. Rescued on 6/19/2017 from Long Beach, CA. Treated for emaciation, anemia, thorns embedded in the feet, open wounds on the feet, and a fractured toe. Released on 812/2017 at San Pedro, CA. Sightings: 10/1/2017 at San Mateo County, CA; 10/3/2018 at Carmel by the Sea, CA; 9/12/2019 at San Mateo, CA;
N95 (0938-61295): Juvenile, Brown Pelican. Resighted and recorded by OARRA on 10/14/22 on the San Pedro breakwater. Rescued on 5/10/2018 from an unspecified location in Los Angeles county, CA. Treated for emaciation, hypothermia, anemia, lethargy, and cactus thorns embedded in the feet. Released on 6/9/2018 in Los Angeles, CA.
V48, CA Brown Pelican. Resighted and reported by OARRA on 11/18/22 on the Marina Del Rey breakwater
X47: red-banded Brown Pelican X47. Sighted and reported by OARRA on 10/14/22 on the San Pedro breakwater. Believed this pelican could be a bird from the 2010 BP Oil Spill Deepwater Horizon.
Y92 (0769-00192): Adult, male Brown Pelican. Sighted and recorded by OARRA on 8/5/22 on the San Pedro Bait Barge. Rescued 3/13/2022 from Malibu, CA, by California Wildlife Center. Treated at the IBRC San Pedro for fractured right ulna, swollen right foot joint, and bumblefoot. Released 5/13/2022 at San Pedro, CA.
C34: Adult female Brown Pelican observed and reported by OARRA on 12-22-22. Rescued on 10/13/2009 from San Pedro, treated for fishing line constriction injuries on the left win and released on 11/6/2009 at San Pedro, CA. Since its release, C34 has been sighted over 40 times, mainly in the winter months at Redondo Beach. This bird tends to spend much of the summer somewhere else and returns to this area in the winter
OARRA, during its monitoring trips, records and reports unusual visitors, activity, or other changes affecting the birds it sees to local and national bird agencies. Sharing this data with other organizations is key to understanding the threats and changes affecting these sentinel species.
An American Oyster Catcher, usually a resident of the East Coast, was recorded on the San Pedro Breakwater by OARRA.
An American Oyster Catcher recorded on the San Pedro Breakwater by OARRA. Like this American Oyster catcher, birds can be vectors for bringing diseases from other regions.
A non-native American Oyster Catcher recorded by OARRA with a few native Cormorants on the San Pedro breakwater. Non-native animals can bring diseases such as the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) from other regions.
A Boobie on a mooring in the Port of Long Beach. It is unusual to see these primarily ocean-dwelling birds so close to land. This bird may have hitched a ride into the port on one of the many containerships visiting our ports.
A Boobie on a mooring in the Port of Long Beach. It is unusual to see these primarily ocean-dwelling birds so close to land. This bird may have hitched a ride into the port on one of the many containerships visiting our ports.
A Boobie on a mooring in the Port of Long Beach. It is unusual to see these primarily ocean-dwelling birds so close to land. This bird may have hitched a ride into the port on one of the many containerships visiting our ports.
Another Species of Boobie was recorded on the San Pedro Breakwater on August 5, 2022
Another Boobie of recorded on August 5th, 2022.
July 21, 2022, OARRA recorded an very unusual place for Western Gulls to raise their brood. Western Gulls gaurding thier fledlings, still covered in down, on a busy mooring in the port of Long Beach.
July 21, 2022, OARRA recorded an very unusual place for Western Gulls to raise their brood. Western Gulls gaurding thier fledlings, still covered in down, on a busy mooring in the port of Long Beach.
How You Can Help!
To report a banded Pelican and for more info on IBR’s banding program, please visit their Banding Program page. You can also report the Pelican Bands and metal alloy-banded birds directly to the USGS Bird Banding Lab (BBL).