West Coast Brown Pelican Study Shows How Community Science Can Fill Conservation Data Gaps

A new scientific paper published in the journal Marine Ornithology documents the power of community science across the west coast, and provides essential information on a population of Brown Pelicans, a species of conservation concern.

Between 2016 and 2019 volunteers in California, Oregon, and Washington did one day counts of Brown Pelicans in the spring and fall, gathering data on the species’ populations across the range. The study, part of a coordinated effort by Audubon California and the Bird Alliance of Oregon, found that the data collected provides meaningful insight into the species’ movement patterns, productivity, and distribution.

"This is a wonderful example of how partnerships and community science monitoring programs can help us better understand species demographics, recovery, and responses to climate change,” said Daniel Orr, co-author and Director of Geospatial Science at Audubon California. “As we continue to see the negative impacts of climate change on bird species like the Brown Pelican, this kind of cost-efficient and widespread effort can be crucial to informing management and conservation of birds and their habitats across their ranges." 

Trained volunteers from Audubon chapters all along the coast participated in the four-year study, fanning out at around 60 locations in California, from Crescent City in the north to the Tijuana River to the south. The study documented a higher proportion of young pelicans across the west coast when nesting success in their southern California breeding grounds improved. This finding highlights that community science surveys can provide a clear signal of pelican response to changes in breeding success. The increase in productivity was also correlated with a rise in the abundance of their primary prey - anchovies - a forage fish essential to the success of many seabird species.

“This study has provided insights into changes in the Brown Pelican’s distribution and coastal habitat use, which could not have been done without the coordinated effort of many volunteers across a large region,” said Deborah Jaques, lead author of the paper, and pelican expert. “The information from this effort could help in future management decisions to monitor and further protect the west coast pelican population.”

Another key finding of the study showed that compared to historical records, Brown Pelican distribution during the fall was shifting northward, with higher concentrations of birds in Oregon and Washington, consistent with climate change predictions.

Joe Liebezeit, paper co-author and Statewide Conservation Director for Bird Alliance of Oregon, said, “Over 100 community scientists along the west coast surveyed pelicans at over 80 sites per year. It's impressive that a concerted effort by a large group of volunteers can shed new light on this iconic yet vulnerable seabird. We thank the many volunteers who contributed to this study for the welfare of this amazing bird.”

Brown Pelicans are an iconic and beloved seabird on the west coast. These seabirds are instantly recognizable by their large body, long bill, enormous throat pouch, and their spectacular head-first diving for small forage fish prey. While Brown Pelicans were removed from the endangered species list in 2009 after a substantial recovery following the DDT ban in 1972, the species is still vulnerable to environmental stressors. In recent years they have suffered some unusual waves of starvation and catastrophic nest failures in their breeding grounds in southern California and Mexico. This study points to the potential of community science snapshot surveys as a critical, inexpensive, and inclusive tool to better understand and protect this important species. 

###  

Media contact:   Shineh Rhee, Communications Director,  Audubon California  

shineh.rhee@audubon.org  

415.644.4605  

Audubon California is a regional office of the National Audubon Society. Learn more at audubon.org/california and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @AudubonCA.     

The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come.