Audubon Pelican Banding
By Dr. Jennifer Wiggen, Senior Educator
Volunteers banding, sampling and holding pelican chicks.
In mid-August 2024, our Senior Educator Dr. Jennifer Wiggen had the opportunity to go out with Lindsay Addison of Audubon North Carolina to assist with Brown Pelican banding and sampling on the Cape Fear River. The goal of the project was to determine type and amount of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also called “forever chemicals”) in pelican chicks raised on the river and to characterize their immune system health. Among other things, PFAS exposure affects humans’ and other animals’ immune systems.
Along the Cape Fear River, Audubon North Carolina manages several coastal sanctuaries that protect essential habitats for waterbirds and shorebirds. With diverse habitats ranging from sand and grass to forest and marsh, this network of islands attracts flocks of waterbirds by the thousands.
Battery Island, which we pass on the ferry every day, is one of these sanctuaries and one of Audubon North Carolina’s 96 Important Birding Areas. Audubon has protected and managed Battery Island since 1981 by planting trees for habitat enhancement, conducting long-term monitoring projects, and working to protect birds from human disturbance.
Brown Pelican chick on Battery Island.
In total, the group banded 32 Brown Pelicans and several types of samples were taken: blood, mouth and cloacal swabs, and feathers. Each band has a unique number on it, identifying that pelican for the rest of its life, should it ever be found again. Cape Fear Audubon partners with UNC-W and the USGS and they will use these blood samples to characterize the chicks’ blood cell counts, the sex of the chicks as well as to determine the presence and amount of PFAS and immune system function. The swabs will be analyzed for the presence of pathogens, another indicator of immune function. Along with finding a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, if you ever find a dead or injured bird, check its legs for bands!
It was a truly incredible day assisting with this conservation work that greatly impacts southeastern North Carolina.
All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.
