Wildlife Response, Inc. (WRI) would like to advise the people of Hampton Roads
and other areas of Virginia and North Carolina that the pelicans at Rudee Inlet
and other locations will need their help. With the temperatures dipping into
the twenties last night and predicted for the next 4 nights, more Brown
Pelicans will be suffering. Frost bite effects and emaciation will be the main
reasons these birds need help.
WRI advises anyone who finds a pelican in trouble to contain the bird and call
the WRI Hotline 757-543-7000 immediately. Debilitated birds may look
water-soaked in many cases or will be in parking lots or areas they may not
normally be seen. If, they've lost weight and waterproofing they will rapidly
lose body heat. Frostbite affects the pouch, wingtips, and feet of the birds.
Further damage may happen to the delicate tissue of the pouch if handled
incorrectly. WRI does not advise people to chase the pelicans. They need all
the energy they have to maintain body heat at night. Instead, please call the
Hotline and we can provide information about how to safely contain the bird.
Volunteers may be able to go out and rescue, but it may take up to an hour to
respond so the public be aware. If you find a bird and contacted us, please
stay with the bird until help has arrived. This extra step of containing the
animal may mean the difference between the life and death for the bird
.
Lack of food is the main reason these birds are in trouble. Warm weather in the
Hampton Roads area for most of the winter has kept the birds here. When the
fish leave and the weather is still warm, they remain at the beach and on most
of the rivers. By the time the weather changes, the birds are debilitated and
in trouble.
Birds that call the Hampton Roads area home in the winter have come from
Maryland, northern Virginia, Delaware, and North Carolina. For years pelicans
have wintered in the area, Migratory Bird Band numbers taken from birds
released in the spring and those that died from the elements have shown that
these birds are not migrating to Florida as most people believe.
The compromised birds rescued this winter will be treated medically, and then
rehabilitated until they overcome their illness and are ready for release. This
process will take weeks. Successfully rehabilitated pelicans will then be
released back into their natural habitat as weather permits.
For information about how you can help the pelicans already in our care or
assist those that have not yet been rescued, please call 757-543-7000. Brown
Pelicans may eat 3 to 5 pounds of small whole fish each day. Anyone interested
in donating whole fish; fresh or frozen may contact Pearl Beamer at
757-855-2922.
Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation so that the birds can be maintained
until release can mail a check or money order to:
Wildlife Response Inc
Pelican Fund
PO Box 2904
Chesapeake, VA 23327
Or log onto our web site at http://www.wildliferesponse.org and go to Donations.
Connie Sale
WildLife Response
Chesapeake, VA
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