The decline of brown pelicans on the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast.

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dc.acquisition-srcen_US
dc.call-noen_US
dc.contract-noen_US
dc.contributor.authorKing, K.A.en_US
dc.contributor.authorFlickinger, E.L.en_US
dc.contributor.authorHildebrand, H.H.en_US
dc.contributor.otherSouthwestern Naturalisten_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-02-15T16:48:05Z
dc.date.available2010-02-15T16:48:05Z
dc.date.issued1977en_US
dc.degreeen_US
dc.descriptionp. 417-431.en_US
dc.description-otheren_US
dc.description.abstractBefore 1920, native populations of brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis carolinensis) were estimated at 50,000 to 85,000 birds in Louisiana and 5000 in Texas (USA). By 1958, brown pelicans had vanished from 2 wintering areas in each state, and wintering and breeding birds disappeared from additional areas between 1959 and 1961. By 1963, the disappearance of the brown pelican from Louisiana was complete, and in Texas only about 100 birds were observed annually. Mortality before 1939, particularly in Texas, was attributed mostly to hunters and fishermen. Losses in both states were attributed to hurricanes, disease and extended periods of freezing weather. Pesticides may also have contributed significantly. Widespread endrin-caused fish mortality was documented between 1958 and 1964 in Louisianna. Pelicans undoubtedly were exposed to endrine through eating the fish. Significant levels of DDE were found in Texas fishes in the late 1960's. DDE residues in pelican eggs were high enough to be responsible for nesting failure. Shell thinning averaged 10% in Texas pelican eggs collected in 1970, 1972 and 1974, but in earlier years greater thinning was associated with the collapse and loss of eggs. Poor reproductive success during recent years was believed due to failure of many adult pelicans to nest and a high rate of nestling mortality in the few pairs that did nest and hatch young. The remnant population of brown pelicans on the Texas coast will disappear unless reproductive success improves, because recruitment is presently insufficient to offset mortality.en_US
dc.description.urihttp://gbic.tamug.edu/request.htmen_US
dc.geo-codeNorthwestern Gulf of Mexicoen_US
dc.geo-codeTexas coasten_US
dc.historyen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/18835
dc.latitudeen_US
dc.locationNOT AVAILABLE IN-HOUSE.en_US
dc.longitudeen_US
dc.notesen_US
dc.placeen_US
dc.publisheren_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries1107.00en_US
dc.relation.urien_US
dc.scaleen_US
dc.seriesen_US
dc.subjectmarine birdsen_US
dc.subjectbioaccumulationen_US
dc.subjectlethal effectsen_US
dc.subjectsublethal effectsen_US
dc.subjectlethal limitsen_US
dc.subjectpesticidesen_US
dc.subjectPelecanus occidentalisen_US
dc.subjectbrown pelicanen_US
dc.subjectbiogeographyen_US
dc.titleThe decline of brown pelicans on the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast.en_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.universityen_US
dc.vol-issue2(4)en_US

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