California Seabirds Starving To Death In Alarming Numbers Along Coast, Scientists Say

Some of California’s seabirds are increasingly starving to death, state scientists say.

Starvation is the “primary cause of increased mortalities” in Brandt’s cormorants, common murres and brown pelicans found from Mendocino County to San Diego, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Friday.

The state began receiving reports last fall that weak or dead birds were discovered along California’s central and southern coasts. Wildlife rehabilitators were also admitting increased numbers of the seabirds. Nearly all have been younger birds, the CDFW said.

“Brandt’s cormorants, common murres, and brown pelicans breed on offshore rocks and islands along the coast,” the wildlife agency said, and 2025 was an unusually good year for their reproduction.

“An increase in reproduction is often followed by high juvenile mortality,” according to the agency. “Young seabirds are typically less experienced at catching prey and are less resilient to changes in food resource availability and adverse weather such as severe wind or winter storms.”

Tests largely ruled out deaths from avian influenza or bird flu, which has affected dairy cattle and poultry in California. Avian influenza H5N1 was first detected in the state’s wild birds in July 2022.

The wildlife agency said its researchers and partners examined 55 Brandt’s cormorants and about 34 common murres.

Evidence of bird flu was found in only two cormorants found in San Francisco in early January, two murres from San Mateo County in January and February, and two collected in early March from Marin and Santa Cruz counties.