At Worldwide Chicken Rescue, each hen’s launch again into the wild is a victory, however our work doesn’t cease there. Due to progressive monitoring know-how, we will now observe the post-release journeys of Brown Pelicans like by no means earlier than. Eight former sufferers are sporting a 3rd leg band along with their federal and blue bands: a miniature digital system purposed to trace their whereabouts and support conservation analysis.
Led by Deborah Jaques of Pacific Eco Logic, this mission is exploring using the newly-designed leg bands and the Motus Wildlife Monitoring System to know post-rehabilitation and fledgling dispersal and survival of the California Brown Pelican.
Radio indicators embedded in small gadgets on tagged animals are detected by sensor stations situated inside about three to fifteen kilometers of the animal, and the info are then uploaded and despatched to researchers. Extra info on how the Motus “e-Band” works might be discovered on OWCN’s web site.
The indicators from the e-Bands are automated, eliminating the necessity for an individual to identify the hen in particular person and manually report it. Moreover, sign receivers cowl a a lot bigger portion of the California Brown Pelicans’ vary than is often reached by in-person re-sightings, together with out within the Channel Islands and several other areas in Mexico.
Following confirmed success on one rehabilitated pelican, 20 extra pelicans have been tagged and launched from July 2023 to September 2024. Different rehabilitated pelicans have been offered by Pacific Wildlife Care, Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Community, and Wetlands and Wildlife Care Heart.
The e-Band was produced by Mobile Monitoring Applied sciences upon request by Jaques. Major funding and assist for this analysis has been granted by the OWCN, with contributions from Pelican Science and a rising record of collaborators.
The long-term sturdiness of those bands on pelicans remains to be unknown. Motus bands additionally come at a considerably increased value, round $350 every, in comparison with roughly $5 for a easy shade band. As with many applied sciences, these prices might lower over time.
Following the Flight of Brown Pelican H4
Amongst these birds was Brown Pelican #53107, sporting the blue band “H4”. This affected person was admitted to care on February 27, 2024 after being discovered contaminated with oil in Malibu, CA. As soon as steady, she was totally washed by employees and a wildlife rehabilitation intern. After 29 days in care, she recovered from burns brought on by oil on her left wing and healed from a wound on her left leg. Absolutely rehabilitated, she returned to the wild on March 28.
Since H4’s launch, she has been on the transfer, detected 54 occasions from 11 sensor stations starting from as far south as Santa Cruz Island in Santa Barbara County to as far north as Tom’s Level in Marin County. Most just lately, she was detected on November 5 at Elkhorn Slough, CA. She is only one instance of the numerous pelicans thriving within the wild post-release. Due to the e-Band, we will verify her progress and collect invaluable knowledge about her survival and actions.
