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Crested Beauty

Bald Eagles and raptors were not the only birds affected by the use of DDT; in fact hundreds of species were adversely affected and during the 1960’s and 70’s, the California Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) was facing extinction. DDT disrupts calcium metabolism resulting in defective egg shell development. The thin shelled eggs were either incompatible with life or broken during incubation; in either case the thin shells resulted in reproductive failure. In 1971, the Brown Pelican was listed as an endangered species and in 1972, DDT was banned; because of conservation efforts, the Brown Pelican population is now strong and viable. In 2009, nearly 40 years after Brown Pelicans were listed as endangered, they were removed from the Federal endangered species list. Pelicans remain vulnerable to chemicals, oil spills and nesting disruptions as they will hastily abandon their nest and eggs when disturbed, La Jolla, California.

brown pelicanpelecanus occidentalisbirdwildlifelajollacalifornia