A Beautiful Shorebird
The Brown Pelican is a large, stocky bird with a twelve inch bill and trademark throat pouch. Although it is considered a large bird, it is the smallest of the eight species of pelicans found in the world today. It is a coastal bird with two subspecies, on the west coast and another on the east. It is the only non-white pelican in existence today.
Description
The Brown Pelican is a large bird measuring 45 to 54 inches in length with a wing span of over six feet. It has a brown and gray body and a white head with a light brown crown. Its bill is up to twelve inches in length and the throat pouch distinct. During the breeding season its throat takes on a dark brown hue.

Males and females are similar in appearance although the male is slightly larger. The young birds have a darker head which lightens as they reach maturity.
Range and Habitat
The Brown Pelican can be found along the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Gulf Coast. On the Atlantic Coast its range stretches from North Carolina south through Venezuela. On the Pacific coast it can be seen in the Southern California coast and southward as far as Chile. Once mating season is over, it will wander farther northward.

The Brown Pelican is a coastal bird preferring saltwater lagoons, sandy beaches, and waterfronts to the freshwater lakes inhabited by American White Pelican.
Mating and Nesting
As with many water birds, the Brown Pelican's colors change during mating season. The chest and head feathers take on a golden hue. Their eyes turn from yellow to blue and the skin surrounding them becomes a bright pink. The California Brown Pelican's pouch turns a bright red as well.
The male selects a nest site and then tries to attract a female with distinctive head movements. Once mated, the nest is built. The male collects the reeds and grass for the nest and the female weaves them together. It usually takes close to a week to complete the nest building process. It can be built in a tree or a bush but is often simply a hollow on the ground. They nest in colonies, usually on a barrier island close to the mainland.
The female will lay two to three eggs within a few days of completing the nest. Both the male and female incubate the eggs and care for the young. Unlike most birds, the Brown Pelican incubates its eggs with its webbed feet.
The eggs are incubated for close to a month before finally hatching. They hatchlings are fed regurgitated food, first from the bottom of the nest and later directly from its parent's mouth. The young usually leave the nest between two and three months of age. It will be three years before they reach maturity and are able to breed.
Diet
As with all pelicans, the Brown Pelican dines on fish. However, rather than hunt in groups from the surface of the water, the Brown Pelican is a plunge diver. They fold their wings in and dive into the water after
prey. The bill and pouch are used like a net. Once it has scooped up the fish, The Brown Pelican lets the water drain out of the pouch. It will then tip its head back and swallow the fish whole.
Full, the Brown Pelican's pouch holds up to three gallons. That's a lot of fish!
Pelicans

Stay in Formation!
Conservation Status
During the 1970's the population of Brown Pelicans dropped drastically due to pesticides such as DDT. With the exception of a small population of Brown Pelicans in Florida, the bird was gone. They were placed on the Federal Endangered Species List at that time. Since the ban of DDT, the Brown Pelicans have rebounded. The total numbers are at record levels and increasing. They were removed from the endangered list in the southeastern United States but are still listed as endangered throughout the rest of their range.
The Brown Pelican is conservation success story but conservationists are still monitoring their numbers. They are highly susceptible to oil spills and are often entangled in fishing lines. The Brown Pelican are no longer listed as endangered but they are still vulnerable. It would take so little to upset the balance.
Careless fishermen pose a serious threat to the Brown Pelican. Fishing lines snap leaving fish hooks, line, and a struggling fish behind. The Brown Pelican is attracted to the struggling fish and get tangled in the line. Once caught, if they are not strangled in the struggle to free themselves, they starve to death.
Nikon Monarch Binoculars
A Great Choice for Bird Watchers
The Nikon Monarch Binoculars
The waterproof, fog-free Nikon binoculars are perfect for outdoor use. Bright, beautifully defined images are delivered by superior quality, multilayer coated lense.O-ring seals and nitrogen gas provide added resistance to the effects of changes in climate, while the durable design and rubber armoring ensure reliable performance and a comfortable grip, even during prolonged use. Worry-free viewing of the great outdoors.
Shorebirds of North America, Europe, and Asia
Shorebirds of North America, Europe, and Asia: A Guide to Field Identification (Princeton Field Guides)
Amazon Price: $25.55 (as of 12/23/2009)![]()
Shorebirds of North America, Europe, and Asia is divided into two sections for easy use. The first section shows the shorebirds in standard poses and the second shows them in flight. I prefer this field guide to the others because shorebirds rarely stay still long enough to identify them. With flight illustrations I have a better chance at identifying them.
Other Sun Worshiping Beach Bums
-
Busy Lizzy's Aquatic Birds
-
Aquatic birds live on or near bodies of water. They acquire their food from the water, the shorelines, or animals within the same region. I grew up in Minnesota. It's a landlocked state but with 10,000 lakes it has its share of aquatic birds. When I...
-
The Laughing Gull
-
Named for its well-known laughing call, the Laughing Gull is a common sight along the Atlantic Coast. They are a social bird and are often seen (and heard) in large flocks. More scavenger than hunter, they pick the beach clean of editable trash and f...
-
Sanderlings
-
Sanderlings are the most widespread of all the shorebirds. They are often seen on beaches scurrying after waves as they roll back to the sea. They are looking for crustaceans and mollusks exposed by the retreating water.
The Shorebird Guide
The Shorebird Guide
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/23/2009)![]()
The Shorebird Guide offers a revolutionary approach to identifying birds. They use the holistic approach, relying on impressions rather than distinctive details.
What is your favorite bird?
-
Reply
- Evelyn_Saenz Evelyn_Saenz Dec 8, 2009 @ 4:26 pm
- We love watching the brown pelicans soaring just above the waves along Miami Beach.
-
Reply
- TopStyleTravel TopStyleTravel May 1, 2009 @ 4:33 pm
- I love a lot of birds, but seeing Pelicans makes me think of the coast, islands or the sea. Where I most like to be. Thanks
-
Reply
- aj2008 aj2008 Apr 24, 2009 @ 2:50 pm
- Fabulous lens. I have seen pelicans in Florida. Blessings to you!
-
Reply
- tdove tdove Jan 19, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
- Thanks for joining G Rated Lense Factory!
-
Reply
- naturegirl7 naturegirl7 Oct 25, 2008 @ 8:15 pm
- Welcome to the Naturally Native Squids group. Don't forget to add your lens links to the appropriate plexos and vote for them.
- Load More
About the Author
Lensmaster ElizabethJeanAllen has been a member since March 16 2008, has rated 4,015 lenses, favorited 445, and has created 200 lenses from scratch. Lizzy Jean donates their royalties to Squidoo Charity Fund. This member's top-ranked page is "2009 Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments". See all my lenses
Resources used to construct this page.
Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.
NatureWorks
All About Birds: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
National Audubon Society
Love This Lens?
by ElizabethJeanAllen
I tell my students to Learn from the Past, Live in the Present, and Plan for the Future. With Squidoo I can do all three.








