Loafing around on the Oconto River

The remnant of the rock jetty near the mouth of the Oconto River provides great loafing and preening habitat for birds such as the white pelican and gulls. High waters in recent years topped most of the jetty and washed away rock, leaving stepping stones where once a wider avenue provided a place for a picnic table and anglers.

Today, white pelicans, ring-billed gulls and herring gulls enjoy the comfort and safety of the rocky pier as they loaf in the warm afternoon sun, taking time to socialize and preen their feathers.

Preening, necessary for good health, is no small job for these birds; they can spend at least 10% of each day doing this. They use their bills and feet to preen their feathers by nibbling or stroking them from the base up to the tip; this also moisturizes their feathers with oil to keep them flexible and strong and aligns them for optimum waterproofing, insulation and flight. Feather parasites and lice are also removed by preening, protecting the bird’s health and the flock or nest from disease. And preening pays off in courtship, as a bird’s healthy appearance attracts a mate and helps in raising strong, healthy chicks. Mutual preening, or allopreening, helps bond mates to each other; it’s a form of communication that keeps their union strong (www.thespruce.com).

It’s an eyeful to see so many beautiful birds in one place on the jetty — a study in whites and grays, with the large stately pelicans taking central stage. They have real presence; white pelicans weigh up to 16 pounds and have a wing span of 9 feet. They have strikingly orange bills, legs and feet.

Pelicans like to fish together using their bills and wings to drive fish shoreward, corralling their prey and scooping up their fishy meals with their large, strong bills and throat pouches.

Breeding birds develop a plate or large orange ridge, also called a “nuptial tubercle” on their bills and ornamental plumes on the tops of their heads; the plate falls off once their chicks start feeding.

Pelicans nest in colonies on remote sandbars, islands and peninsulas, building their nests in depressions on the ground. Chicks are born featherless and orange skinned. When older, they feed in large groups until they fledge or are ready to fly at roughly 10 weeks (https://www.eekwi.org/animals/birds/american-white-pelican).

According to Wisconsin DNR, the white pelican is documented in the early history of Wisconsin, but the species disappeared from the Midwest due to habitat loss and contaminants. Through time and increased conservation, their habitat has improved and they have returned and are expanding their range.

In Wisconsin, the white pelican is now found in more undisturbed habitats near the Upper Mississippi River, Green Bay, Lake Butte des Morts and at Horicon Marsh. Watch for these birds. They are especially beautiful in flight — the pure white of their bodies a sharp contrast to their black-tipped wing feathers as they soar together in slow sweeping circles, rising higher and higher skyward, sometimes disappearing from view. They are a beautiful sight to behold.

Cathy Carnes of Oconto is a retired U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologist who volunteers with Bird City Oconto.