| Injured pelican survived harsh Alberta winter thanks to invasive fish species, says naturalist | |
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Credit: Mike Sturk |
After a CBC Homestretch listener brought attention to an lone, injured American white pelican in Southern Alberta that was unable to fly south this past winter, naturalist Brian Keating ventured out to find the bird and learn more about it.
And last Tuesday, alongside his wife, Keating located the pelican at Frank Lake, east of High River.
But by then, the pelican's lonely days were over.
It had linked up with others of its kind that had returned from the Salton Sea in southern California and other coastal waterways, bays and estuaries, said Keating. |
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"There he was with with a new buddy ... he was no longer alone," he said Monday on The Homestretch.
The lone pelican had been spotted all winter long, according to online birding database eBird.
Keating says it's unusual behaviour for the species, which usually escapes Alberta's harsh winters by flying south. |
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