Brown pelican sightings in NYC could mean the southern birds are here to stay, according to scientists

Scientists in New York City are watching closely dozens of brown pelicans that were spotted in Jamaica Bay. 

The rare sightings of the southern birds this far north raise the possibility that they may start calling the city home.

"It's stunning to have them here"

Conservation specialist and photographer Benjamin Forbes trekked down to the shorelines at Breezy Point, Queens, on a windy Friday morning in November. 

Forbes, with NYC Plover Project, checks on the habitat most weeks, but lately something has been standing out: pelicans, which most people associate with warmer climates. 

"It's stunning to have them here," he said. "There were a whole bunch of them in groups, fishing, diving in the water. At least 45 pelicans. It was quite incredible." 

Right away, Forbes started snapping photos and videos of the birds. 

Experts said the visuals were unlike anything they've seen while working with coastal and avian life around New York City. They said the pelicans should have migrated south already and that they've never documented this many so late in the season. 

"These kinds of numbers, it was very exceptional," Forbes said. 

Experts say you may see pelicans in Southern New Jersey this time of year and into the winter, but even 100 miles makes a big difference for these birds.

"The concern is when they start to displace other species"

While the pelican sightings may be a wonderful find, they could serve as a warning about what's been going on with the environment. 

Jose Ramirez-Garofalo, an ecologist at Rutgers University, says the surge in pelicans sends a mixed signal. 

"Climate change is here and, unfortunately, climate change is here to stay," Ramirez-Garofalo said. 

While climate change is pushing the southern species further north, it's also a sign that decades of cleaner water made New York's coastline healthier. The same improvement is bringing back whales and seals. 

"It's definitely one of the main drivers of these species being able to come here and not only adapt, but to thrive," Ramirez-Garofalo said. 

Ramirez-Garofalo also predicts it could mean some birds won't migrate at all. 

"The concern is when they start to displace other species, and so it's something we have to prepare for," he said. 

For now, this flock of pelicans remains an unexpected snapshot of New York's changing ecosystem.