The Interior Department has announced that the brown pelican is coming off the endangered species list. Total population is up to 650,000 and this is a success of the DDT ban and the Endangered Species Act. One of my favorite sights on the beach is watching pelicans "fold up" and dive for fish.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Good News
The Interior Department has announced that the brown pelican is coming off the endangered species list. Total population is up to 650,000 and this is a success of the DDT ban and the Endangered Species Act. One of my favorite sights on the beach is watching pelicans "fold up" and dive for fish.
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In related news, the first passage pelicans harvested for falconry in nearly four decades have begun to rekindle American falconers' love for this nearly extinguished branch of their sport.
What? You mean...?
Oh. Nevermind.
Hmmm. Might be something there. Don't they use cormorants to fish with in certain area so China? As I recall, a ring around the bird's neck allows it to breathe, but prevents it from swallowing the bulk of a fish. Perhaps there's an opportunity for the aspiring fish "falconer". Given the smell around a pelican roost, I doubt anyone would be able to tough out acclimatizing the bird to human company by keeping it on a perch in the house, though.
There is an advert for HSBC Bank on UK TV which shows an asian fisherman using a cormorant for fishing !
JohnnyUK
Yup, the cormorant fishermen are still out there.
Pelicans don't have a reversed hallux do they?
I'm reasonably certain anyone with wrists big enough for a pelican to stably stand on could strangle bison.
The comeback of so many species is wonderful to see. I went with a falconer hunting with his peregrine at Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina on Saturday. He put up his peregrine and we had a pair of wild peregrines come in and chase his bird out. It was a sight to see! Fortunately he got his bird back about an hour later.
John
I'm reasonably certain anyone with wrists big enough for a pelican to stably stand on could strangle bison.
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Ha! Maybe it's a lost Neanderthal sport
Given the smell around a pelican roost, I doubt anyone would be able to tough out acclimatizing the bird to human company by keeping it on a perch in the house, though.
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Believe me, cormorant roosts don't smell any better. I assume they get tethered outside somewhere
The practice of seeking out catfish under cormorant roosts reveals that some folks have real dedication to their sport.
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