I also feel that if the core population is healthy, and conditions are right here (both debatable in this instance), then aquatic birds in particular are very well placed to re-colonise…
Reading between the lines a bit, does make me think that in this case the pelicans would mainly be the ‘poster-child’ for a wider attempt to revitalise wetland habitats, which would be laudable, though other rarer habitats (e.g. southern acid heathlands), need the help much more as they’re still disappearing at a rate-of-knots beneath housing conurbations &c.
