pelicans on alberta lakes

[Greasemonkey]

just wondering if there are as many pelicans on other lakes as there are on fawcett there are at least 50 of the suckers and the have to be hard on the fish. arent pelicans a ocean going bird anyway. i have a lake lot at fawcett in recent years there have been a few but this year its like they exploded i wonder if fish and feathers could do something since they are not a natural predator, they are a very big bird and have to eat more than one fish a day. do get me wrong i'm all for natural predation but they are not natural or am i wrong?

[duffy4]

Not sure why you are saying pelicans are not natural preditors there?

They eat the small bait fish, (and maybe some sport fish fry)but not the big "sports fish". Sometimes, like at Fawcett, the big preditor fish (pike, walleye and perch) populations go down and the bait fish populations really take off. That makes the lake more attractive to pelicans and they have a better survival rate because of the abundance of feed.

I have been going to Fawcwtt for many many years. In the early years there were no pelicans around the lake.

Robin in Rocky

[Cam-hunter]

heres the bastards on peerless lake

[Grizzly Adams]

The gas plant to the south of me has a reservoir that has a flock nesting there every year. I find that interesting since my old Birds of Alberta book claims they are found only on major lakes in the eastern part of the province. But then, Geese used to be a rarity this far west too.
the ones we have are White Pelicans. Brown Pelicans are the oceanic type. Saw lots of them in Mexico.
Grizz

[Rob Miskosky]

It seems we had about 13 every year on Baptiste Lake for as long as I could remember. Then, suddenly, last year we counted more than 70. This year it appears - at least so far - that the numbers are back to normal. Not sure what happened last year but they were everywhere!

[brownbomber]

i grew up next to a pelican spot and saw the numbers fluctuate every year. it seems like when the population grows to be to much to support them then they disperse to other lakes and then it's back up and down and they seem really steady for a bit and then up and down and so forth. i have no problem with pelicans, they are just doing there thing and it's kinda tough to blame them for decling fishing chances. they are just surviving same as a wolf,or a bear or us humans.

[-NDN-]

they eat more than just baitfish, they will even attack Comorants. On the Red River at Lockport, these birds outnumber the rocks on shore. they swim around in pods and attack schools of good sized goldeye, Saugers, Drum, White Bass, etc.

I have even noticed now they are on the North Saskatchewan River in Fort Saskatchewan.

First time i ever seen one was on Beaver Lake by Lac La Biche years ago.

I wish nothing but pure evil on them:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[wildman]

i'm with ndn on this one!!!
i'm seeing more and more of them and seeing them where they never used to be too!!!
i've also seen them eat LARGE fish. they don't get to be as massive as they are eating just minnows. and even if they DID just eat minnows, i'd rather see the large fish get them.
flying rats!!!!!
my $0.02
cheers, gw

[sonny]

A report on Oneida Lake in New york and Minersville Reservior in Utah have implicated cormorants as a major cause for reduced fish populations in those areas.
Cormorants feedings @300x1.43lbs/day x 5 mos = 64,350 lbs
Pelicans feeding @ 60 x 3.75 lbs / day x 5 mos = 33,750 lbs
total = 98,100 lbs
With the number Cormorants and Pelicans in southern Aberta lakes they are taking more than thier fair share of fish.
Sonny

[sixpoint1]

The pelican problem is also on the oldman river in the Taber ,Grassy Lake area as well on the Bow river and Oldman at the forks. Ive seen these birds eat fish that had to be a few pounds in weight, they could barely lift there heads out of the water, to get it down. Ive seen about ten to twenty birds go on a eating frenzy that seemed to last an hour at a time. I could not believe the amout of fish taken in that time frame.Guys in the area that stock ponds with rainbows pretty much lose all due to these birds. Just no good for nothing.

[Rob Miskosky]

Pelicans are indeed hard on fish populations when congregated in large numbers on a given lake. They're built for fishing. But, you have to admire the bird just for its sheer brilliance. They will actually circle a school of fish and pick off the fish once surrounded. And they don't make a sound of any kind, but can somehow communicate.

They are also my favourite bird to watch glide. For such a huge bird, they are as graceful as anything I've ever seen when their belly's are mere inches from the surface of the water, wings extended, and not a waver in their flight. Like a big cargo jet over a runway. Pterodactyls we call them.

[-NDN-]

always wondered why we can shoot game birds like ducks and geese, grouse, etc, but you cant shoot pest birds????:ashamed:

you can shoot game animals like elk moose and deer, but you can also shoot pest animals like Gophers and the like:tongue2:

[cujo1969]

Like crows magpies pigeons starlings sparrows they have to draw line somewhere. What you want to shoot the pelicans because they eat the odd fish? What about blue herons ? Some people are pests to and we cant shoot them.

[bearstalker]

Pelicans are quite the species. They are quite the creature to see but on the other hand need to be controlled.

[-NDN-]

Like crows magpies pigeons starlings sparrows they have to draw line somewhere. What you want to shoot the pelicans because they eat the odd fish? What about blue herons ? Some people are pests to and we cant shoot them.


go to Lockport, Manitoba, on a nice summer day, and just watch how many fish they eat, they are so concentrated, they hunt fish like a pack of wolves. Only as time passes will they get thicker in numbers here too. Blue herons, gimme a break:rolleyes:

i think your reference to shooting people who are pests is a little different, eh?

[Nerdapres']

My cousin in Sask. has a stocked pond. He shot 30 pelicans in one weekend there. Hasn't seen one in years ever since then.

[Doc Holiday]

There is quite a flock that hang out on the west side of Gull on " Pelican Point". As to what Rob said about not makin much noise.... sounded like a kids birthday party with all the kids jacked up on sugar! Very noisy.

[Rob Miskosky]

Hey Doc,

I've never heard an American White Pelican make a sound... ever. And according to the "Birds of Alberta" book, they don't make a sound. Although other readings suggest the adults utter very low, hoarse display calls. I've personally never heard them make a sound, even when we had better than 70 on Baptiste.

[Doc Holiday]

Hmmmm, they were definatley loud as all get out. Not gulls a-squakin, they were havin a real pow-wow. Wifee & chitlins were there too, we were about 200 yrds from shore, and they were everywhere, not afraid of boats at all. I Dont know, maybe it was an orgie?:love: