Pelicans fall out of sky from Mexico to Ore.

[DogPoundPup]

Source: The Seattle Times

SANTA ANA, Calif. — Pelicans suffering from a mysterious malady are crashing into cars and boats, wandering along roadways and turning up dead by the hundreds across the West Coast, from southern Oregon to Baja California, Mexico, bird-rescue workers say.

Weak, disoriented birds are huddling in people's yards or being struck by cars. More than 100 have been rescued along the California coast, according to the International Bird Rescue Research Center in San Pedro.

Hundreds of birds, disoriented or dead, have been observed across the West Coast.

"One pelican actually hit a car in Los Angeles," said Rebecca Dmytryk of Wildrescue, a bird-rescue operation. "One pelican hit a boat in Monterey."

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008597545_pelicans07.html

[Poll_Blind]

1. Heavy metal (lead/mercury/etc) poisoning from toxic feeding grounds?

:wtf:

PB

[Soylent Brice]

2. that's a sign of the apocalypse, isn't it?

seriously though, pretty weird stuff.

[WriteDown]

4. Or a sign of...

The Hitchcockalypse?

[Soylent Brice]

6. you should submit that to the Oxford folks.

colbert would be proud.

[DrZeeLit]

11. thanks for the laugh... i love it.... I've been sick with a cold since Christmas and you just gave

me a reason to laugh.

I adore good verbiage.

I'm copying that one down. You need to document and send to whoever does those good lists every year. Add the news clip to get full credit.

Thanks again. I needed that.

[WriteDown]

12. Always glad to help someone out :). nt.

[Richard D]

3. Not too long ago

They were in serious danger of going extinct. I hope the reason for this is discovered and fixable. They are amazing birds.

[moggie]

5. Cue "huge bill" headlines n/t

[here_is_to_hope]

7. Saw two on the beach yesterday here in Oregon

Both older adults though and its not uncommon to find a few birds washed up after Gales blow through.

[bdamomma]

8. sad.

what is making them so disoriented?

[Kajsa]

9. Pelicans have had a rough time.

I remember writing LTTE of our local newspapers
regarding the effects of DDT on them. Their eggs
had very weak shells and continuously broke before
the chick could hatch..
That was back in the 60's.

Then they faced extinction again, not to mention
being targeted by sadists who shot them for no reason.
Recently, a number of pelicans were found along the
South Bay beaches down to Huntington Beach with
broken wings.This had been done at the hands of humans.

And now this.

:(

Pelicans are one of my favorite birds.
They're very graceful and beautiful to watch in flight.

I hope they find the cause and solution quick.
We need our pelicans.
They are a vital part of our ecosystem here on the left coast.

[truedelphi]

23. In Germany the environmentalists are suing the government there

On account of chemtrails in the sky.

Freer media there, so the more aware people are freely trying to make others realize how awful it is that aluminum and barium are sprayed as Chaff across the skies, with unknown results, and they can make these statements without being marginalized.

Of course, I cannot say for sure what is causing the birds' ailments, but the heavy metal spray cannot be good for any person or other living critter.

[Kajsa]

25. No it's not good by any means.

I'm glad to hear the German environmentalists
are fighting back.

:)

[nc4bo]

10. How strange. Avian flu perhaps? nt

[nc4bo]

13. List of symptoms...

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/bird-flu/bird-flu-news.php

Diagnosis
How to Recognise Avian Influenza
What to look for

* Ruffled feathers
* Soft-shelled eggs
* Depression and droopiness
* Sudden drop in egg production
* Loss of appetite
* Cyanosis (purplish-blue coloring) of wattles and comb
* Edema and swelling of head, eyelids, comb, wattles, and hocks
* Green diarrhoea
* Blood-tinged discharge from nostrils
* Incoordination, including loss of ability to walk and stand
* Pin-point hemorrhages (most easily seen on the feet and shanks)
* Respiratory distress
* Increased death losses in a flock
* Sudden death
* Nasal discharges

The article really doesn't go into much detail on what symptoms the witnesses actually saw. I wonder if anyone got up close to notice if any of the symptoms match those of bird flu.

The entire phenomena is scary. Mother nature tries to tell us humans when something's wrong in our environment.

I hope they can sort it out, pelicans are so awesome!

[radfringe]

15. food-water

---snip--- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28524316/

On Monday afternoon, a pair of volunteers brought a very weak bird in for rehab in the center's heated cage room. They said the pelican had been found on a Santa Monica beach, but hardly put up a fight while being rescued.

"Usually, they're a lot more feisty than that," said volunteer Cynthia Hurley. "They're pretty mellow when they're coming in right now."

Center officials can only speculate as to the cause of the mysterious affliction. A pathogen could be involved, although those that are simply fed and re-hydrated tend to recover within days. An environmental cause? Perhaps, say experts, but nothing has been isolated as a cause so far.

[nc4bo]

16. Wow. Are the fish they eat all gone? No fresh water available anywhere?

Wild animals find food and eat it. They find drinking water and drink it. It's the way they are made and instinct and all that stuff. Wild things don't need humans to give them a meal to survive.

Something else is going on and I hope scientists take the time and effort to figure it out.

[radfringe]

18. article didn't mention it...but

the birds brought in could have been force fed by sanctuary people, which over a couple of days stimulated their appetites.

back in Nov. our 22 year old cat developed an upper respiratory infection, she wasn't eating/drinking, and she became dehydrated real fast

vet juiced her up with an IV, sent us home with meds. Cat still didn't show any interest in food/water. We started force feeding her "chicken soup for cats" - which was chicken baby food mixed with pedilyte so it was soupy enough to push through a syringe.

two days of this and she was eating/drinking on her own. A cat's appetite is stimulated by smell - since our cat was 'stuffed up', she couldn't smell and therefore wasn't interested in food/water.

I'm not suggesting the birds have an upper respiratory infection, but if it's a pathogen of some sort it could be interfering with whatever birds have that stimulate appetite.

[truedelphi]

27. That is an interesting analysis of what makes critters respond to food.

Sounds like your kitty has a very good set of parents. Glad she pulled through.

[Wednesdays]

14. Like the proverbial canary in the coalmine...

Losing the pelicans is bad enough, I sure hope this isn't ominous for the rest of the world's species. :scared:

[rambler_american]

17. Love pelicans

A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill can hold more than his belican,
He can take in his beak, Food enough for a week,
But I’m damned if I see how the helican (Dixon Merritt)

[LeftHander]

19. A pelican shit on my mom....

Knocked her glasses off and the steaming white pile splashed in her coffee cup in front of her lady friends. They laughed so hard she ran away gagging and crying.

[donco6]

20. Mine wasn't quite that bad.

But it has happened. Ugh.

I still like to watch them fly. I'm just more circumspect about looking up at them.

[gauguin57]

21. Dollars to doughnuts it's more evidence of how we've made our planet sick.

[gauguin57]

22. Poor babies. I love watching pelicans flying over the beach when I'm at the shore.

[hunter]

24. This makes me sad. Brown Pelicans are wonderful birds.

They have very feisty personalities up close in person -- you really don't want to mess with a healthy one -- but I love to watch them fishing or traveling together low just beyond the surf.

[AnneD]

26. I know why....

the fish are so full of mercury that the pelicans are more sensitive to colder weather.



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