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In The News – The rescue of Pelican Whitey, the stranded seabird in Tahoe

January 2, 2025 | Member Submitted

Originally Published by KUNR, 12/06/2024, by Lucia Starbuck

An American White Pelican is roosting after a 20-person team rescued him from an icy pond in Truckee.

The seabird sure had an un-pheasant journey.

It’s normal to see pelicans in the Reno-Tahoe area. They’re big aquatic birds with long beaks and large throat pouches. They migrate from the coast and go inland during the winter to stay warm.

So it became clear to birders this pelican was feeling under the feather and wasn’t supposed to be here this late in the year. Unlike Nigel from “Finding Nemo,” who scooped up Dory and Marlin, this bird, nicknamed “Whitey” by the locals, was in need of saving.

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Photo courtesy of Doug Jones

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