Pelican population in Alberta growing, but still ‘sensitive’

CTV News Edmonton's Matt Woodman takes a look at why pelican numbers have been increasing in the Edmonton area in recent years.

The American white pelican is quite a sight to behold, and they’re getting increasingly popular in Albertans’ own backyards.

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The species itself has a growing population in parts of Canada, and residents here can see up to dozens of the big-billed birds in storm ponds and other shallow bodies of water.

Nick Carter, the Nature Kids coordinator with Nature Alberta, confirmed anecdotally that their population has increased throughout the province.

In a report for Nature Alberta, Carter noted that waterfowl populations have increased by 46 per cent in Canada between 2012 and 2022.

Still, he said “they’re a sensitive species that needs to be treated carefully in order to keep them around.”

“These colonies are really susceptible to diseases and other kinds of environmental impacts, habitat loss, that kind of thing,” Carter said.

Pelicans feed by getting close to shallower bodies of water for fish, either by swimming or swooping low across the water. Carter notes that they’re a social bird.

He also added that pelicans during breeding season are motivated by the large amount of space and food available to them between May and September in Canada.

American white pelicans will gather in large colonies on bigger lakes, lay their eggs, then stay in one place for up to six weeks while providing for their young.

“The colony sizes are definitely increasing from just a few scattered individuals nesting together that we had several decades ago,” he said.

David Laffra and his daughter try to make it out fishing in Hermitage park as much as they can when the weather allows for it. He said he was surprised at first by how many pelicans made it to Edmonton.

Now, he said he’s come to expect and enjoy them. In fact, he jokingly blames a pelican who swooped low over his fishing line last year for stealing his catch.

“It’s so cool … you always see them on TV and stuff like that, but you never actually get to witness one,” he said.

Carter said if Edmontonians want to keep enjoying the “almost prehistoric-looking birds,” their habitats need to be kept “clean and safe and secure for them.”