Date: 4/20/24 9:20 am From: jackson_us via groups.io <jackson2...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Early juvenile brown pelicans and a few other sightings
I'm so very glad to learn this. It just seemed so wrong that juveniles would be here already. Thanks, Peter. I know we'll all be interested in learning how this year's nesting goes.
-----Original Message-----
From: <Mendobirds...> <Mendobirds...> On Behalf Of Peter Pyle
Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2024 7:50 AM
To: <feather...>; jackson_us <jackson2...>
Cc: <Mendobirds...>
Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Early juvenile brown pelicans and a few other sightings
Greetings all -
The brown-headed birds in Jeanne's photo are about a year of age rather than juveniles. These stay brown-headed through at least their second fall. You can tell by the white feathers coming in on the head and the worn plumage whereas juveniles are fresher and 'neater' overall and entirely brown headed.
Soon if not already the 'second-cycle' birds will begin molt of primaries whereas in juveniles these are not molted in the first summer so this is a quick way of telling them apart in flight. This isn't the best photo
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/463759601 but it shows two juveniles to the left followed by a second-cycle bird and an adult in June.
I think it's a bit early for juveniles up here, perhaps first being expected in late May. But it also relies a lot on how well they breed, which varies a lot inter-annually, from zero or very low productivity in many years to super productivity as we've seen during the past two seasons. I like determining ratios each summer and they have been in the 20-40% juvenile territory during the past two summers whereas there are many years with <5% or 0%. Last summer it was about 30% juveniles and 15% second-cycle birds. I haven't heard about this year yet, but with El Nino in we would expect productivity to be lower than average and perhaps a complete bust. That they are already flying north (and, yes, I've seen these as well this week) may not be a great sign regarding their nesting season this year.
Cheers, Peter
On 4/19/2024 4:01 PM, Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io wrote:
> Yesterday and today, I was seeing juveniles flying with adults, as
> well. All heading north, except ONE small group of four, who were
> heading south - Brown Pelicans, from Virgin Creek Beach.
>
> Lisa D Walker-Roseman
> Ft Bragg/Cleone
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