BROWN PELICAN

(Pelecanus occidentalis)

eBird provides this description of the Brown Pelican:  Large and conspicuous, gray-brown bird of saltwater habitats. Strictly coastal; rarely seen on inland lakes. Very long bill with pouch for scooping up fish. Forages mainly by diving on fish from above. Frequently cues into fishing activity looking for handouts. Often flies in long lines close to water’s surface.  All About Birds offers this description:  The Brown Pelican is a comically elegant bird with an oversized bill, sinuous neck, and big, dark body. Squadrons glide above the surf along southern and western coasts, rising and falling in a graceful echo of the waves. They feed by plunge-diving from high up, using the force of impact to stun small fish before scooping them up. They are fairly common today—an excellent example of a species’ recovery from pesticide pollution that once placed them at the brink of extinction.

During our trip in early March of 2020 to the Rockport area Dorothy and I saw a number of Brown Pelicans.  We saw them at Goose Island State Park near the boat launch, at Rattlesnake Point north of Rockport, and at the ferry to Port Aransas (the landing on the Port Aransas side).  Hope you enjoy my photos of this beautiful bird.

Brown Pelican at the Port Aransas Ferry, March 4, 2020.
A lone Brown Pelican in a Group of American White Pelicans. Goose Island State Park, March 2, 2020.
Several Brown Pelicans in a large group of American White Pelicans near the boat launch at Goose Island State Park, March 2, 2020.
Brown Pelican in flight at Rattlesnake Point near Rockport, March 3, 2020.


“Cool Facts” About the Brown Pelican From All About Birds…

  • While the Brown Pelican is draining the water from its bill after a dive, gulls often try to steal the fish right out of its pouch—sometimes while perching on the pelican’s head. Pelicans themselves are not above stealing fish, as they follow fishing boats and hang around piers for handouts.
  • Pelicans incubate their eggs with the skin of their feet, essentially standing on the eggs to keep them warm. In the mid-twentieth century the pesticide DDT caused pelicans to lay thinner eggs that cracked under the weight of incubating parents. After nearly disappearing from North America in the 1960s and 1970s, Brown Pelicans made a full comeback thanks to pesticide regulations.
  • The closely related Peruvian Pelican lives along the Pacific Coast of South America from southern Ecuador to Chile. It’s a little larger than a Brown Pelican, with fine white streaking on its underparts and a blue pouch in the breeding season. These two species are the only pelicans that plunge-dive for their food.
  • During a dive, the Brown Pelican tucks its head and rotates its body to the left. This maneuver is probably to cushion the trachea and esophagus—which are found on the right side of the neck—from the impact.
  • The oldest Brown Pelican on record was 43 years of age.