Hundreds of starving pelicans appearing in California

It’s unclear what is affecting the birds

Wildlife workers are puzzled at the appearance of hundreds of sick and starving pelicans showing up at rescue centers along the California coast. The birds are starving despite abundant marine life in the waters. 

“It’s a crisis right now for the pelicans,” Debbie McGuire, executive director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, told the Associated Press.

Her organization has taken in more than 100 California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) that were starving and dehydrated. Bird Rescue reported taking in 110 sick pelicans in recent weeks.

Wildlife organizations hope to rehabilitate the pelicans and return them to the wild.

Read more from the Associated Press.

Header Image: Hundreds of sick and starving pelicans have been showing up at wildlife rehabilitation centers in California. Credit: Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center via Facebook