The white pelican, a species normally found in western and southern states, was discovered in mid-December along the Kankakee River in Kankakee County south of Chicago. Friendly fishermen provided food for the wayward bird, but when temperatures plunged and the river froze, the Illinois DNR was called in. The pelican was taken to a wildlife rehabilitator in Aroma Park, who has been caring for the bird until it is ready for its trip south.
The pelican will fly home the easy way, in a container aboard a United Airlines jet bound for Tampa, Florida. Upon arrival, the bird will be met by state wildlife agents who will release it, or if necessary, place it in the care of a wildlife rehabilitator until the pelican is ready for return to the wild.
White pelicans, while not an endangered species, are a rarity in this part of the country. These birds nest near lakes in western states and spend their winters along the Pacific Coast in central and southern California, along the Gulf of Mexico in Texas and Louisiana, and throughout Florida.
Among the largest birds on earth, adult white pelicans weigh 17 pounds or more and sport wingspans over 9 feet. White pelicans have a long, distinctive reddish bill and the large pouch for which the species is famous. Their plumage is white with black wing tips. They eat fish, crayfish, and salamanders, sometimes working in groups to drive fish to shallow water where they are easier to catch.
White pelicans are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a Federal law aimed at conserving populations of migrating birds, including waterfowl, birds of prey, and songbirds. Enforced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the act was passed in 1916 to stop the decline of bird populations which were being decimated by market hunters seeking meat, as well as feathers for the fashion industry. Amended most recently in 1989, the act also regulates sport hunting of migratory game birds and provides full protection for many other species of migratory birds.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
