Hungry pelicans not flying south for the winter

ASTORIA, Ore. - Recent visitors to the Oregon Coast may have noticed an unusual sight for this time of year.

Hundreds of brown pelicans have been spending more time on the Oregon coast than on the California coast - their normal winter getaway.

Coastal experts say that California's temperamental weather may be playing a part in these pelicans staying put.

Historically, pelicans usually arrive on the Oregon coast in the spring and head south by October or November, but this year, many of the birds have been found dead along Oregon beaches the last couple of weeks after starving to death.

With the stormy weather, food sources have become increasingly scarce out in the wild.

Luckily, the Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria has been nursing them back to health.

Sharnelle Fee, Director of the Wildlife Center, is worried because these types of birds were just taken off the endangered species list.

"January is the beginning of their breeding season in Baja and all these guys should be down there courting and getting ready to breed, but instead, they're up here," said Fee.

Fee speculates that as long as they can get food they will most likely stay here in Oregon for the rest of the winter, however, she wants to dissuade residents from feeding these birds because doing so may unnecessarily encourage them not to leave.

Once the pelicans are nursed back to health, Fee and the rest of her team, plan on releasing the birds back in to the wild hoping they will then make the long journey south.