Daily and Seasonal Movements of Brown Pelicans in the Bahía Grande Wetland Complex: Technical Report

This research project implemented a series of studies that investigated the daily and seasonal movements of brown pelicans in the Bahía Grande Wetland Complex (BGWC) of South Texas. The project was motivated by brown pelican mortality that occurs along a stretch of highway (State Highway 48 [SH 48]) that links Brownsville, Texas, to Port Isabel, Texas. Brown pelican mortality is a conservation concern but is also a risk to the traveling public. The research undertaken in this project tracked individual pelicans using global positioning system devices. Researchers also undertook a banding and resight study, and other field methods employed to monitor pelicans in the region. These field methods were used to develop mathematical and statistical models that provide a holistic view of the movement ecology of pelicans in the region, and help explain the frequency of SH 48 crossings, and SH 48 pelican mortality events. The study illuminates key roost and loafing sites used by pelicans in the BGWC as well as major flight corridors that connect them. These sites include pelican habitat within the BGWC that largely explain why pelicans regularly attempt crossings across SH 48. The analysis of field data collected during this project also identified the important seasonal migration trends of pelicans in the region and the temporal variation in the size of the BGWC population. Statistical models of pelican mortality show that, in addition to the daily and seasonal movements of pelicans in the region, mortality is associated with cold fronts that result in strong northwestern winds that create unfavorable flight conditions for pelicans crossing SH 48.

• Record URL:
  https://static.tti.tamu.edu/tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6970-R1.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://static.tti.tamu.edu/tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6970-PSR.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/Presto/catalogid=39669
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/59257
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Supplementary report is available at: https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedpdfs/tti/0-6970-r1b.pdf
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Implementation Office
  125 E 11th Street
  Austin, TX  United States  78701-2483

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Birt, Andrew
  • Koczur, Lianne
  • Tamayo, Angelica
  • Huch, Robert
  • Rodriguez, Alejandra
• Publication Date: 2021-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 414p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Animal migrations; Birds; Fatalities; Global Positioning System; Highways; Wetlands
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01789194
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-20/0-6970-R1, 0-6970-R1
• Contract Numbers: 0-6970
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 22 2021 11:31AM