Priorities for Future Research

Although many aspects of Brown Pelican behavior and breeding biology have been thoroughly researched, much remains to be learned. Home range size and daily activity patterns during the breeding season have not been quantified, and little is known about behavior and ecology during the nonbreeding season or the 3–5 years prior to first breeding. Information about movements, foraging and roosting sites, food habits, and energetics during these life stages is needed to define essential habitat and develop effective conservation programs. Basic demographic data (life span, sex ratio, age-specific birth and death rates, philopatry) needed to calculate a life table and model population dynamics are lacking. Obtaining this information will require detailed studies of marked individuals carried out over several pelican generations. Simultaneous measurement of food availability and its environmental and anthropogenic determinants will further our understanding of pelican population regulation and aid in designing management strategies for sustaining both pelican and prey populations. Genetic studies are needed to determine the extent of differentiation among and within recognized subspecies and to define their geographic boundaries.

Populations in Middle America, South America, and the West Indies remain on the endangered species list despite little information about their health. Base-line data on numbers, productivity, seasonal distribution, and contaminant levels and other threats are lacking for most populations in these regions, thereby precluding valid assessment of population status and hindering conservation efforts. Long-term monitoring is required to determine if these populations are self-sustaining and, if not, what interventions are needed to restore viability. In the U.S., where the species has been delisted—except in California, Texas, and Louisiana—continued monitoring is needed to further document recovery from the effects of pesticide contamination and to identify new threats as they arise.