DE PERE, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - It's peak breeding season for the White American Pelican in Wisconsin, and the population is booming.

One of their main feeding locations in Wisconsin is the base of the De Pere dam where many fish congregate in the waters. 

In the mid-1990's when the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources first started observing breeding pelicans there were only a handful of pairs, but Wildlife Biologist Joshua Martinez says that's very different today. 

"Between Northern Door County, Lower Green Bay, there's probably four to five thousand nests this year. And, in the Winnebego pool system, probably around fifteen hundred to two thousand," explained Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist Joshua Martinez. 

Martinez estimates that from the population has grown to 10,000 pelicans since they first started observing the pelicans two and a half decades ago. 

White American Pelicans spend their winters in the Southern Gulf states, and migrate north for breeding. 

They're a colonial bird which means if a small flock finds good conditions others will follow.

"There are many different factors that attribute to that. One, the Green Bay system and Winnebago system have a lot of Islands. And, islands are what they nest on because they're safe from small animals and people. The fact that we have them here shows that our entire lake system is high in productivity, very abundant in fish, and it supports a lot of wildlife," explained Martinez. 

There is a lot of interest from the public. 

Sportsman Johnny Nowell moved to Green Bay from Amarillo, Texas more than a decade ago specifically to take advantage of what he says are better outdoor opportunities in Wisconsin. 

"About ten years ago I'd see three or four pelicans swimming around the lake or the river, but over the years the population has grown and in the past ten years, I see about 30 or 40 at a time," said Nowell. 

Ava Brey who recently graduated from high school in Green Bay recalls a time when her parents were heartbroken there were no longer pelicans in the Fox River. 
"So, like they were saying like when they were like kids the pelicans stopped coming up because of how bad the pollution in the river got, but I think it's cool that they're coming up because it means the river is getting a little better," said Brey. 

Guy Rondeau who lives near Green Bay says he was shocked when he first saw one flying above the Fox River. 

"I used to work at St. Norbert College and I had a window that overlooked this area, and this was probably fifteen years ago, I thought what the heck is that, I thought it was a pterodactyl," explained Rondeau. 

In August there will be even more American White Pelicans in the Green Bay area because all of the flocks that are in lake Michigan use the Green Bay area as a staging area as they prepare to migrate to the Southern Gulf states. 

The American White Pelican makes for a great site as they are North American bird with the widest wing span, spanning up to 9 feet.

Spectrum News 1 will follow up with local fisherman who are reporting that the American White Pelican has become a nuisance because the influx of migratory population is consuming large amounts of area fish populations.