Declining Pelican Breeding May Mean Wetter California Weather Under El Nino

DAVIS (CBS13) — A UC Davis researcher says pelican breeding patterns could also be a sign that an El Nino weather pattern is on the way.

It may sound a little bird-brained: Pelican breeding habits in the Baja could mean more rain for the Sacramento area.

But the birds have been right before, and new evidence may be pointing in that direction again.

Talk to some of the farmers at the Davis farmers market and they'll tell you the drought has taken its toll on business.

"We've had three years dry, just very dry," said Lodi farmer Frederico Toledo. "It's hard for all the farmers."

He's heard the headlines about a possible El Nino and a wetter winter next year for California.

"When is the nino coming? We don't know," he said.

But not far away from the stand, a UC Davis researcher says lower breeding numbers by pelicans could be pointing to an El Nino.

"This year, the drop in breeding was the biggest one we've seen in 46 years of monitoring," Dan Anderson said.

In his boat, Anderson monitors pelican breeding patterns in the Gulf of California near Mexico, and says a change in available food may be to blame for the low numbers.

"During El Ninos, they don't have that steady food source so they become more mobile, abandon their nests," he said.

One major food source for them is anchovies. The El Nino pattern brings warmer waters into the Eastern Pacific, and fish don't thrive in those warmer waters. That means a less reliable food source at pelican breeding grounds.

"It's all one big dynamic system," Anderson said.

In the end, it could mean an El Nino and wetter weather next year.