Daniel Moreno has pled guilty to animal cruelty and was sentenced to 20 days in jail and 3 years' informal probation for stomping on a brown pelican's bill and breaking it, according to the Orange County Register. On March 14, Moreno was fishing at the Newport Beach pier when the bird tried to steal some of his catch. Moreno stomped on the bird and split its bill lengthwise. The pelican was taken to a rehabilitation facility for a month while its bill healed enough to withstand typical fishing dives.

For the past few months, brown pelicans have been showing signs of stress along the Pacific Coast. It is believed that shifting ocean temperatures and currents are making food scarce, which makes the birds desperate to approach humans for food. This is likely what the pelican was doing when it approached Moreno's catch.

While I don't necessarily feel the punishment was harsh enough - I'd have liked to see a fine paid to support wildlife rehabilitation or community service to preserve beach habitat - it's good that the bird is healing and the man responsible is serving time. Do you agree? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Brown Pelican Diving
Photo © Ingrid Taylar

This week's featured bird is a feisty tropical species: the bananaquit. Boldly colored and with an even bolder attitude, these birds adore sweets and will sneak into homes to steal sugar from open bowls or containers. They're often found in banana trees and sipping nectar from a range of brightly colored flowers.

While these are common species in the Caribbean and tropical habitats in Central and South America, they're also regular vagrants in southern Florida. Have you seen a bananaquit? Share your sightings in the comments!

Bananaquit
Photo © Craig Nash

Black skimmers may be relatively abundant along southern coasts, but in New Jersey they're hard to find - except in one place. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the sole colony of black skimmers in New Jersey, a total of 2,904 birds, can be found alongside the Longport Beach causeway bridge near Ocean City.

While a few skimmers have nested in the area in recent years, the dramatic increase this year is due to flooding at other nesting grounds. To protect the birds, sections of the beach were closed to the public, and while some complaints have been registered, many area residents are happy to have the skimmers thriving.

Have you seen this fantastic black skimmer colony? Share your sightings in the comments!

Black Skimmer
Photo © Bruce Tuten

Six American white pelicans rescued and rehabilitated from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have been officially welcomed to their new home - the Phoenix Zoo. According to ABC15, the birds all have wing injuries that prevent them from flying or being released into the wild. After being decontaminated from the oil spill, the pelicans stayed at the Jackson Zoo in Mississippi, but with their relocation that zoo can now accept additional birds recovering from the oil spill's effects.

A three-acre wetlands exhibit was renovated for the pelicans, and they will eventually share it with other wetland animals such as sandhill cranes, Chilean flamingos and red brocket deer. So far, the birds are adapting well to their new home and were enjoying a swim in the lake just minutes after their release.

For more information on the zoo or to plan a visit to see the new pelicans, visit PhoenixZoo.org.

American White Pelican
Photo © Terry Ross