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January 28, 2022  |  By Ben Ivers

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican Live

Brown Pelican - IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

I've watched brown pelicans diving my entire life

I absolutely love this photo because of the splash of water that you can see behind the brown pelican as it started to take off from the water. I don't know which of us was more startled when I took this photo. I had been snorkeling off the coast of Siesta Key. When I surfaced from taking some photos of the many fish that were swimming about that day, I saw this pelican sitting on the water less than thirty feet away. I pulled my camera up out of the water and took the photo that you can see below of it sitting in the water and then some shots as it began to take off. I've watched brown pelicans dive into the water while fishing my entire life in Florida. This is the first time that I was in the water so close to one, and I was take back by how beautiful this bird was up close.

White Pelican

Brown pelicans are found along the coast of North and South American in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean. They can also be found in the Galapagos Islands. The protection of the brown pelican was one of the main reasons that Pelican Island in Florida was set aside as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1903 by Theodore Roosevelt. Today this beautiful bird is no longer considered as an endangered species, but it had been listed on the Endangered Species List as recently as 2009. The brown pelican was heavily impacted by the use of DDT. Their populations have rebounded since the banning of DDT.

Brown Pelican Sitting Live

Just before the bird took off

Brown pelicans exhibit diverse foliage based on their location and their maturity. This is likely an immature bird, as they have brown foliage on their head neck and body. As adults, they will develop slight yellow foliage when they are nonbreeding. When they are breeding, they differ based on location. In their western range, they have red skin on their throat pouch. In their eastern range, they have a yellow head and a dark neck.

Snowy Egret

These birds are most notable for the way they hunt. They soar above the water looking for their prey, fish. When they encounter the right fish, they dive head-first into the water. They scoop the captured fish into an expandable throat pouch. Before swallowing the fish, they drain the water out of their throat.

Another interesting and notable behavior of the brown pelican is the way that they fly. They will form long lines of birds low over the water, typically in a single file line. They will occasionally fly in a V formation.

They develop very different foliage

Did You Know?

  • Brown pelicans are piscivores.
  • The scientific name of this bird is Pelecanus occidentalis.
  • There are three species in the Pelecanidae family in the Americas.
  • They lay 2-3 eggs at a time with an incubation of 28 to 30 days.
  • The brown pelican is the state bird of Louisiana and is shown on the state flag and seal.
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Article by Ben Ivers

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Matt Hamas and Ben Ivers here. We are focused on fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of the environment. We endeavor to bring you a unique perspective of the wild. Our photos are being placed here for you to enjoy. Please feel free to download any of the photos for your personal use. We are currently seeking partners for printing and developing photos.

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