Texas News Coastal Resilience

Brown Pelican Removed from Endangered Species List

Nearly 40 years after it was pushed to the edge of extinction by pesticide use, habitat loss and hunting, the brown pelican was taken off the endangered species list.
Brown Pelican
Brown Pelicans and Laughing Gull in Rockport, Texas. Photo: Lorraine Minns/̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Photography Awards
By ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Texas
Published December 17, 2025
This article is from ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Texas . Find ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ near you here.

De-Listed!

In the fall of 2009, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ celebrated the removal of the Brown Pelican from the Endangered Species list due to its significant recovery.  In Texas, where a census showed 12 breeding birds in 1973, we now have more than 12,000 Brown Pelicans breeding annually.  ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Texas, its staff, partners, and volunteers played a critical role in this historical achievement.

To learn more about the Brown Pelican's recovery, click here.