Pelicans at Lake Brewster

Renowned naturalist David Attenborough documents some of the animal world’s most intriguing and surprising evolutionary traits and behaviours. His latest documentary featured the pelican breeding event at nearby Lake Brewster after the 2016 floods. The word for pelican is gulambali in the local Wiradjuri language (Gulambali Wibiyanha Galingga: pelican sitting on the water) and these majestic birds of the sky relied upon Lake Cargelligo for feeding once their breeding site, Lake Brewster, dried up.

 

If bird watching, keep an eye out for pelicans with an orange leg band. Pelicans from Lake Brewster, about 60 km from Lake Cargelligo, have been banded as part of a research project to learn more about where they go and if they return to Brewster. Central West ABC Open hosted a short video outlining the purpose of the research and the need to protect breeding colonies from disturbance and predators for up to 4 months per cohort as it takes that long for baby pelicans (pinkies) to fledge.  

To learn more about how you can play a role visit 

https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/water/water-for-the-environment/lachlan/lake-brewster-pelican-banding