Injured pelican trio touches down in Burnaby

Three injured pelicans have been airlifted from Northern B.C. to Burnaby for treatment after the rest of their flock flew south for the winter, leaving them stranded.

Staff at the Wildlife Rescue Association of British Columbia carefully lifted the birds out of their transportation cages on Thursday, wrapping the pelicans' heads with blankets to avoid startling them.

After inspecting the birds, wildlife hospital manager Janelle Stephenson said all three of them seemed to have been involved in some sort of impact and each pelican had fractures in at least one of their wings.

Rescuers say it's too soon to tell exactly what happened to the birds, which were found near Williams Lake, B.C.

"My first prediction was hit by a car because that's what we usually see around here. However this is a very remote area, so I'm thinking it could be a plane," Stephenson said.

The American White Pelican has been designated as an endangered species in British Columbia.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, pelicans from B.C. spend the winter season as far south as Mexico.