Pelicans possibly battered by strong Northwest storm

LOS ANGELES – Scientists said Friday they believe a severe storm that landed off the coasts of Oregon and Washington in December may be responsible for the bruised and confused California brown pelicans reported in recent weeks throughout California, far from their seaside homes.

About 4,000 of the big brown birds had enjoyed an unusually warm November in Oregon when they were suddenly hit by freezing temperatures and 60 mph winds, said David Jessup, senior veterinarian for the California Department of Fish and Game.

Many of the pelicans were starving and suffering from frostbite and diseases including pneumonia, bronchitis and hepatitis when they were forced to make a 1,000-mile trip to warmer climates in Southern California.

“A high proportion of these birds are adult,” Jessup said, “and quite a few have severe frostbite injuries: frozen toes and foot webs, and nasty lesions on their pouches.”

But exposure to bad weather doesn’t explain all of the problems discovered in blood and tissue samples of pelicans found dead or dying on airport runways, farm fields, freeways and high in the mountains.

For example, blood samples from four of 19 ailing birds sent to University of Southern California biology professor David Caron for analyses had detectable levels of potentially fatal algae toxins such as domoic acid.

Additional tests were being conducted by the California Department of Fish and Game, the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, and Sea World in San Diego.