Chapter 3 - Natural Resources - Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

MCB Camp Pendleton, California
The California brown pelican is also a covered species in the Waterbird Conservation for
the Americas: The North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, Version 1 (Kushlan et al.
2002).
MCBCP Status
Any nesting sites or occurrences that are observed on Base are addressed on a case-by-case
basis with avoidance and minimization measures implemented as necessary and in
consultation with the USFWS. Programmatic instructions and habitat enhancement
measures outlined in the Estuarine and Beach Ecosystem Conservation Plan (Appendix B)
guide the management of habitat and potential foraging areas including shallow estuaries.
Management details, survey information, etc., for the California brown pelican are located
in Appendix F, Section F.6.
DISTRIBUTION
Global
Brown pelicans range from the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf coasts north to Nova Scotia.
They nest on offshore islands from Maryland down to Venezuela, and from California
south to Chile. The only breeding population in U.S. waters is the Southern California
Bight (SCB) population, which consists of breeding birds on the Channel Islands and
several islands off Baja California: West Anacapa Island, Santa Barbara Island, Isla
Coronado Medio, and Isla Coronado Norte (CDFG 2005). Between breeding seasons,
pelicans from other populations join SCB birds in wandering along the west coast of North
America as far north as British Columbia (CDFG 2005).
Regional
The California brown pelican is common along San Diego County’s coast, however, the
nearest nesting colony to San Diego County is on Los Coronados Islands off Tijuana,
Mexico (Unitt 2004). The California brown pelican uses shallow coastal wetlands for
feeding and roosting and can be observed at Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla, Point
Loma, and North Island (Unitt 2004). In summer and fall they have also been observed at
Sweetwater Reservoir, and occasionally in San Pasqual Valley and Lake Wohlford (Unitt
2004).
MCBCP
The California brown pelican does not use Camp Pendleton as a breeding ground, but is
resident on Base and feeds in shallow estuary waters, and uses sand spits and offshore
sandbars, for daily loafing and as nocturnal roost areas. For detailed information on the
California brown pelican, survey information and its management on Base see Appendix F,
Section F.6.
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