(Bay City News) Wildlife rescuers say large numbers of starving young pelicans are turning up on local beaches right now.
The pelicans appear thin and weak, and are walking up to people, said Rebecca Dmytryk, a spokeswoman for WildRescue, a Moss Landing-based nonprofit.
Dmytryk said the starving young birds, which can be distinguished from adults by their brown heads, are distressing to see but probably part of a normal natural die-off, or "survival of the fittest."
While it's distressing to see, not all the young birds can or should be saved, she noted.
"Should we intervene? It's a tough call!" Dmytryk said in a written statement. "It's certainly upsetting to see a starving baby pelican on the beach, but are we doing the species a disservice if we take in all the weak ones?"