CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Three local residents have recently rescued a weak and exhausted migratory bird at a marshy river in Masagana Village in the northernmost town of Dilasag, Aurora, environment officials here reported on Wednesday.
Francisco Calinog, Andy Ortiz, and Francia Dasillo, residents of Sitio Mahogany, Barangay Masagana, found the bird along the Dilasag River. Unsure why the bird is in their area, they immediately contacted the local office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for proper handling and care.
Wildlife personnel of the DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) based in Casiguran, Aurora identified the migratory bird as Great White Pelican, or Pelecanus onocrotalus. It has a total body length of 87 centimeters, 35-cm veil, 61-cm wing span, 15-cm tarsus, and 21-cm tail.
According to Mercedita Bata, head of the CENRO in Casiguran, the pelican is in frail condition but does not have any sight of injury and may have been left behind by its flock while on migration.
CENRO Casiguran transferred the pelican to Global Zoo, a DENR-accredited wildlife rescue center here where it would be temporarily sheltered and released back to the wild upon recovery.
Paquito Moreno Jr., executive director of DENR in Central Luzon, explained that the Great White Pelican is a migratory bird species that commonly lives in the swamps and shallow lakes in southeastern Europe, Africa and Asia.
“The migratory population of pelicans inhabits eastern Europe and Asia during breeding and winter season, and usually dwells in freshwater lakes, marshes, swamps, or deltas,” he said, adding that one possible reason on why a pelican landed within the area was the presence of tropical freshwater and the sufficient amount of fishes, grasses, and reed beds, which breeding pelicans usually prefer for nesting.
Moreno urged the public to turn over migratory birds or any captured and rescued wild animals to environmental authorities for proper handling and care and to report also to the nearest DENR office in their area any illegal wildlife trade and online selling.
“Our migratory birds are critically at risk due to the negative consequences of human activities, especially poaching and illegal hunting,” he explained.
Moreno noted that migratory birds play an important ecological regulating service, especially in seed dispersion and flower pollination, and stressed that killing, trading or hunting this wildlife is a violation of the Section 27 of the Republic Act 9147, otherwise known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001.
Any person found doing these unlawful acts may be imprisoned or be fined with a penalty ranging from P100,000 to P1 million, he said.
Study shows that the Great White Pelican is capable of long flights and swimming and can live up to 50 years. It can grow as big as 180 cm in length and as heavy as 15 kilograms, while its wingspan can grow as up to 360 cm.
Its unique characteristic is the “gular pouch” inside its beak while the legs are short and strong with fully webbed toes that allow it to propel itself in water, and to take off from the surface.
They are powerful fliers and often travel in flocks in a V-formation to reduce drag for the group, the study added.