The unusual deaths of large numbers of white pelicans in California may be linked to the drought, according to UC Davis researchers who began studying the birds in Northern California breeding grounds last year. Daniel W. Anderson, chair of the wildlife and fisheries department at UC Davis, says the drought appears to have somehow affected the migratory behavior of the birds. They are being discovered in unusual places at unexpected times in California (when they should be in Mexico), and they are often found in a weakened condition. While it remains unclear whether the drought is chiefly responsible for the birds' problems, Anderson believes it is having an important effect. White pelicans currently are listed as a species of special concern in California. Their population nationwide is estimated at 100,000. Anderson, well-known for his many years of work with brown pelicans, and graduate student Leopold Moreno will return to the Klamath Basin breeding grounds in June.