Brown Pelicans, Nov. 13

Those who find hungry Brown Pelicans along the Oregon Coast too cute to not feed, are being asked by wildlife biologists to resist that urge and not feed them. Doug Cottam, and ODFW biologist, says it is the best thing we can do for Brown Pelicans. The birds, which typically migrate south for the winter, usually feed on a diet of small fish. Human food can make them sick. Some Brown Pelicans have been spotted on the Oregon Coast interacting with humans by begging for food. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service counted more than 17,000 brown pelicans on the coast between Smith River, CA and Tunnel Island, WA, during a Sept. 15-16 aerial survey. The majority of the birds, nearly 13,000, were on East Sand Island at the mouth of the Columbia River.