American White Pelican

The American White Pelican is one of North America's largest birds. It is four to six feet in length and weighs up to 16 pounds. Its wingspan is an impressive 9 feet. It is a white bird with black wing tips, and a long, wide orange bill. Beneath its bill is a bright, yellow-orange pouch for feeding.

During the breeding season the bill and legs are a bright orange. Its head has white plumes and it has a flattened horn on the upper mandible. Once breeding season is over, the horn and the plumes disappear.

The American White Pelican are usually found near lakes, bays, rivers, estuaries, marshes and beaches. They can be found along the Pacific the Gulf coasts during the winter, and as far inland as Southern Minnesota and Wisconsin during the summer.

When its time to build a nest, most American White Pelicans choose an island or the area around a freshwater lake. The nest is built on the ground and is constructed with sticks, grasses and reeds. There are usually 2 to 4 eggs laid and the incubation period is close to a month long. Both parents take turns incubating the brood and feeding the young once they hatch. To feed the young, the White Pelican regurgitate food into its pouch and then opens its beak and allows the young birds access. The young pelican's heads completely disappear into their parents beaks while feeding.

The Diet of the American White Pelican is primarily fish such as carp, minnows, northern pike, catfish, and sturgeons. They will also eat amphibians such as frogs and lizards.

A flock of migrating American White Pelicans is a facinating sight to see. They fly in either a "V" formation or a long single line. They are a ponderous bird. When flying they alternate between flapping and coasting. When the one in front starts to flap its wings, the rest follow suit. When the predecessor glides, so do the rest. Extremely buoyant for their size, they glide along the rising air currents and they circle down and around. They are long-distance migrants, taveling as far as Central America and Honduras for the winter.

There was a steady decline in the number of American White Pelicans during the first half of the twentieth century. Their numbers continue to drop due to the loss of habitat, predation, drought, and nest failure. They are currently protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and are classified as protected by the California Department of Fish and Game.