White Pelican

American White Pelican - IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

The beak of American white pelicans can be as long as 15 inches!

American white pelicans can grow to be over five feet in length! Part of that length is their beak, which can grow to be fifteen inches long! Adult wingspans can approach ten feet. These birds typically weigh fifteen to twenty pounds, this is no small bird.

Brown Pelican

Ben and I came across this resting flock of American white pelicans at Eagle Creek State Park, in Indiana. We were able to quietly walk the shoreline to the closest vantage point, without spooking the flock. We were also lucky to have rented a Tamron 600mm super telephoto zoom lens. This is a terrific lens for capturing wildlife at a distance. It is a big lens, weighing in at over four pounds. In order to get a sharp photo of the flock, we set up the tripod. Ben and I were able to zoom in on the flock and shoot photos for about fifteen minutes before they decided to move along.

Eagle Creek Park in not far from Indianapolis, Indiana (~13 miles away from downtown). In researching American white pelicans, it appears this sighting was outside of their typical range. Typically, sightings are reported farther west. Eagle Creek Park is a vast city park, with over 5000 acres to explore.

Check out another Eagle Creek Park adventure:

Eagle Creek Ice

These birds can be seen from Canada to Mexico. In the United States, they can be seen in the central and western states. The American white pelican does migrate seasonally, sometimes flying long distances over mountains and deserts. However, the American white pelican will not fly over big bodies of water during their migration.

This sighting was outside of their typical range

Notice the lump on the top of the white pelicans billl

You may be familiar with a similar bird called a brown pelican. Brown pelicans dive for their food. Unlike the brown pelicans, American white pelicans swim for their food. They are great at catching fish in their large bills. American white pelicans will eat over four pounds of food a day. Sometimes these pelicans will work as a team to hunt fish, swimming in a group to drive schooling fish into the shallows, only to be gobbled up.

Brown Pelican

Take a Closer Look

Notice how some of the pelicans have a small lump on their top bill. Both the male and female American white pelicans will grow this horn on their beak during the breeding season. The lump is shed once the eggs are laid.

Did You Know?

American white pelicans can fly by the time they are 9 to 10 weeks old.

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