Survey of Brown Pelicans (<em>Pelecanus occidentalis</em>) in Jacksonville, Florida
Abstract
The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a year-round resident in Duval County, Florida; however, a comprehensive survey and the development of population trends for this area have not been conducted. We gathered data at three sites, one riverine, one estuarine, and one marine, in Jacksonville, Florida to investigate seasonal trends in population abundance and demography. We qualitatively compared our survey results to local eBird data on Brown Pelicans. Additionally, we noted pelican-human interactions and discuss the consequences of these interactions. Pelicans were most abundant in spring (n = 823), with counts nearly twice what they were in fall (n = 416) and winter (n = 447). The lowest abundance of pelicans occurred during the summer (n = 36). Pelicans were approximately three times more abundant at Mayport (n = 1092) as compared to the other sites, most likely do to its close proximity to commercial fishing. While adults were more numerous (1065 adults as compared to 657 juveniles), age class differences in abundance were not significant across seasons or sites. Whereas our highest counts were in spring, more pelican observations were submitted to eBird during the winter and both our results and eBird’s indicate that pelicans are least abundant in the summer. Pelicans frequently followed shrimp boats, and begged for handouts. We observed some pelicans with injuries from fishing gear.
