Louisiana’s state bird is the brown pelican, which is the smallest of the pelican family. It suffered a decline in numbers due to harmful chemical pollutants but has since returned. Brown pelicans are unique as they are the only colored pelican known to man and exhibit unique behaviors. Certain pesticides have adversely affected the bird to the point of near extinction in the area.
Louisiana’s state bird is a brown pelican, scientifically known as Pelecanus occidentalis. It is the smallest of the pelican family, although still relatively large for a bird. The brown pelican became the state bird of Louisiana in the 1960s and then suffered a dramatic decline in numbers due to harmful chemical pollutants. Once some pesticides were made illegal in the US, the bird returned and is no longer endangered in some areas of the country. In addition to being a state bird, the brown pelican serves as a mascot for some universities and is displayed on coats of arms.
Brown pelicans are unique because they are the only colored pelicans known to man; all other pelicans are primarily white. As is typical of pelicans, Louisiana’s state bird thrives along coastal areas. This type of bird nests in a diverse social environment with many other families of the same species. While this type of pelican is quite large for a bird, it is also relatively compactly composed.
Brown pelicans exhibit unique behaviors not often seen in other birds located on the Louisiana coast. For one, they are usually silent, only shouting during mating season and around potential mating patterns. Birds also dive into the water for their prey, surfacing to allow the water in their beaks to drain and then swallow the fish. Also, they are quite tame towards humans, sometimes accepting fish from people’s hands.
There is a lot of variation in the appearance of brown pelicans. In fact, scientists have reclassified a subspecies of brown pelican into an entirely new species. This species was heavier than the standard brown pelican. Not counting the now-separated species, there are five subspecies classified under brown pelican species, some of which do not live in or around Louisiana. For example, one of the subspecies is usually found in California, which is located on the opposite coast of the United States.
Certain pesticides, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and dieldrin, have adversely affected Louisiana’s state bird to the point of near extinction in the area. DDT in particular made pelican eggshells so thin that they could not adequately support a small, growing pelican. More specifically, the egg broke when the bird inside moved. Unable to live with underdeveloped organs, the chick died. Other pelican species have also been threatened by the chemicals.
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