Pelicans and climate change

Picture taken from the US Geological Survey", courtesy of thinkprogress.

Pelicans being forced to breed earlier, according to US Geological Survey. At a popular breeding spot for white pelicans, in North Dakota, the birds have been showing up and breeding approximately 16 days earlier than historic records dictate. While this may normally not be a bad thing, it is fatal for pelican chicks.

Allegedly, when white pelican chicks are born, they do not have any feathers, and therefore it is difficult for the chicks to regulate their own body temperature. The early arrival of the parents leaves the chicks extremely vulnerable to unreliable spring cold weather.

The original article can be read here.