Brown Pelicans commonly fish off the same beaches, marinas, and hot-spots as humans. Unfortunately, this proximity to people is one of the major reasons pelicans get injured. Often, pelicans get tangled in fishing line, punctured by fish hooks, struck by boats, or ill from swimming in places with poor water quality, like shallow marinas. The problem is compounded when well-intentioned people feed pelicans bait or fish carcasses, making the birds more likely to approach people fishing or boating
Fishline and Fishhooks
In heavily fished areas, it is common to find pelicans suffering from injuries due to fishline and fishhooks. Hooks should be removed by clipping off the barbed end of the hook and pushing or pulling the rest of the hook out. Clean the wound with antiseptic. If the hook was in an area other than the beak, it is a good idea to follow up with five days of Baytril or a similar antibiotic. Wounds in the foot, leg, and chest seem particularly prone to infections.
A torn pouch can be a death sentence for a pelican, who will be unable to hold on to any fish it might catch. Luckily, pouches heal quickly with a few surgical staples along the tear and a round of Baytril.
Sometimes a pelican swallows a hook or fishline. A metal detector is an inexpensive way to find out if a hook has been ingested. Some rehabilitators have had luck stuffing cotton balls into fish and feeding the fish to the pelican. The hook and line in the bird’s stomach get tangled in the indigestible cotton, which the bird then vomits or poops out. A more effective technique is to lubricate your arm with mineral oil and actually reach down the pelican’s throat into its stomach. Carefully remove the hook and line by hand.
Collisions
Though a hairline fracture in a wing or leg may be wrapped and repaired with time, patience, and antibiotics, a truly broken or shattered wing or leg is generally a death-sentence for a pelican. Though it is possible to put the bird under anesthesia, surgically pin the wing or leg, and keep the bird for a lengthy, painful period of rehabilitation, the pelican still may never fly or stand or swim properly again. Given the situation, euthanasia is the more humane option.
A broken-off beak is, unfortunately, also generally grounds for euthanasia, though some rescues have kept pelicans missing portions of their upper beaks as educational “permanents” who need to be hand-fed daily.
A broken foot, on the other hand, may be splinted and mended without anesthesia. As long as infection is kept at bay with Baytril and clean wrappings, the pelican should make a full recovery.
Bacterial Infections
An emaciated or lethargic pelican may have a bacterial infection, identified by white spots or orange coating along the inside of the throat and pouch. These infections may be caused by poor water quality. They are contagious, so pelicans with bacterial infections need to be separated from healthy birds. If caught early, bacterial infections can be successfully eliminated with antibiotics, warmth, and fluid therapy. SMZ/TMP (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim) works well on bacterial infections, and is less expensive than Baytril. Pelicans should be given 120cc of fluids two to three times daily while on SMZ/TMP. A pelican with a bacterial infection may refuse to eat, in which case a fish slurry can be gavaged directly into its stomach once the animal is well-hydrated.
Prevention is the best medicine. Educate the public on proper disposal of fishhooks and line. Convince fishers and boaters not to feed pelicans. Lobby for cleaner offshore waters.
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