Gulf oil spill: Brown pelicans heavily affected

The gulf oil spill has been disastrous for a rare breed of brown pelicans that live on Queen Bess Island.

The brown pelican is very much at risk and the impact on underwater life is not yet known at this time. The dangers for this kind of pelican are increased by the way it feeds itself – it dives under the water searching for food and the oil that was spilled in the water could be fatal. They can drown or they can swallow the crude oil, which could be fatal.

Also, oil getting on their feathers is very dangerous for the birds, as they can’t move naturally and can’t swim.

The authorities, as well as the locals, are doing their best to save as many of the birds as possible before it’s too late. Fishermen are carrying the birds as far away from the area as they can. After that, oiled birds are cleaned, but the process is not an easy one, as it is quite time-consuming and there are a lot of pelicans that need to be taken care of.

Hopefully, all the efforts won’t be in vain and this beautiful species of birds will be preserved.