Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
A brown pelican flies near an uninhabited portion of Smith Island, Md., which pelicans use as a nesting site, on Oct. 27, 2014. Brown pelicans fly with their neck folded and head resting on their back. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) USAGE REQUEST INFORMATION The Chesapeake Bay Program's photographic archive is available for media and non-commercial use at no charge. To request permission, send an email briefly describing the proposed use to CBP Multimedia Manager Will Parson (wparson@chesapeakebay.net). Please do not attach jpegs. Instead, reference the corresponding Flickr URL of the image. A photo credit mentioning the Chesapeake Bay Program is mandatory. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way or used in any way that suggests approval or endorsement of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Requestors should also respect the publicity rights of individuals photographed, and seek their consent if necessary.
A colony of brown pelicans roosts on an uninhabited portion of Smith Island, Md., which it uses as a nesting site, on Oct. 27, 2014. Brown pelicans live along beaches and shorelines near shallow waters. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) USAGE REQUEST INFORMATION The Chesapeake Bay Program's photographic archive is available for media and non-commercial use at no charge. To request permission, send an email briefly describing the proposed use to CBP Multimedia Manager Will Parson (wparson@chesapeakebay.net). Please do not attach jpegs. Instead, reference the corresponding Flickr URL of the image. A photo credit mentioning the Chesapeake Bay Program is mandatory. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way or used in any way that suggests approval or endorsement of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Requestors should also respect the publicity rights of individuals photographed, and seek their consent if necessary.
Brown pelicans visit near the lighthouse at Point Lookout State Park at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay in St. Mary's County, Md., on Oct. 22, 2013. (Photo by Steve Droter/Chesapeake Bay Program) For noncommercial use contact the Chesapeake Bay Program
The brown pelican is a large, dark-colored water bird that lives along the shores of the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay during summer.
Appearance
Brown pelicans grow to about 50 inches in length with a wingspan of 6 feet and weigh eight to ten pounds. Adults are mostly dark all over their body, with chesnut and white coloring on their neck and a pale yellow forehead. Their large, grayish bill is 9 to 15 inches in length, and there is an elastic throat pouch underneath the bill. Their legs and feet are grayish-black. Juveniles have a brown head and back with whitish underparks.
Feeding
This bird feeds primarily on fish such as menhaden, herring, sheepshead and silversides and can eat up to 4 pounds of fish per day. It hunts by flying high above the water to find a school of fish, then diving head-first into the water to catch its prey. After catching a fish underwater, pelicans hold it (and a lot of water) in their throat pouch. Once they surface, pelicans point their bill downward to allow the water to drain out and then tilt their bill upward to swallow the fish.
Predators
Brown pelicans have no natural predators; their biggest enemies are humans, who have decimated pelican populations in the past.
Flight
Flocks of brown pelicans fly in a long, straight line or a V formation with synchronized wingbeats and gliding. Sometimes a pelican will fly low over the water’s surface, almost touching it with its wingtips. It flies with its neck folded and head resting on its back.
Voice
Adults are silent, with a rare low croak; nestlings squeal.
National Audubon Society – Bird Song CollectionReproduction and Life Cycle
Breeding typically begins at age 3 to 5 years. Pelicans in large colonies on the ground, in bushes or in the tops of trees. The male brings nest materials to the female, who builds the nest. Females usually lay 2 to 3 chalky white eggs between March and May. Unlike most birds, pelicans incubate their eggs with their feet. Parents share the responsibility of incubating the eggs, which hatch in about a month, and raising the young. Pelicans are born blind, featherless and entirely dependent on their parents. First flight usually occurs around 75 days old.
Did You Know?
- The brown pelican is the smallest pelican species in the world.
- Brown pelicans have excellent eyesight, giving them the ability to spot schools of fish from high up in the air.
- A pelican’s throat pouch can hold up to three times more than its stomach.
- Brown pelicans are very strong swimmers. Young pelicans have been tracked swimming 3 miles per hour before they are even able to fly.
- The use of the pesticide DDT in the mid-20th century caused populations of brown pelicans and other birds, including ospreys and bald eagles, to decline significantly. After DDT was banned in 1972, pelicans began to thrive again.
Sources and Additional Information
- Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
- Chesapeake Bay: Nature of the Estuary, A Field Guide by Christopher P. White
- Animal Diversity Web: Pelecanus occidentalis – University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- All About Birds: Brown Pelican – The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Brown Pelican Fact Sheet – Smithsonian National Zoological Park
- NatureWorks: Brown Pelican – New Hampshire Public Television
Quick Facts
Species
Native
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Size
50 inches in length; wingspan of 6 feet; weigh 8 to 10 pounds
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Habitat
Live along beaches and shorelines near shallow waters and can often be seen perched on piers, pilings, boats and jetties. Rarely found more than 20 miles out to sea or inland in fresh water.
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Range
Visits the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay in summer.
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Diet
Feed on fish such as menhaden, herring, sheepshead and silversides
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Lifespan
15 to 25 years -
Status
Stable