Brown Pelican

Characterized by its large body, long bill, and expandable gular pouch, this majestic seabird features a wingspan measuring between 6.5 and 7.5 feet (2.0 to 2.3 meters). Adults display a unique coloration, with a dark grayish-brown body, a white head that develops a bright yellow wash on the crown, and a neck that turns a rich dark chestnut-brown during the breeding season. Weights vary from 6 to 12 pounds, and they possess short, dark legs with fully webbed feet, exhibiting subtle sexual dimorphism where males of Pelecanus occidentalis are slightly larger.

Characterized by its large body, long bill, and expandable gular pouch, this majestic seabird features a wingspan measuring between 6.5 and 7.5 feet (2.0 to 2.3 meters). Adults display a unique coloration, with a dark grayish-brown body, a white head that develops a bright yellow wash on the crown, and a neck that turns a rich dark chestnut-brown during the breeding season. Weights vary from 6 to 12 pounds, and they possess short, dark legs with fully webbed feet, exhibiting subtle sexual dimorphism where males of Pelecanus occidentalis are slightly larger.

Geographical distribution: Extends along the coastal waters of the Americas, from Washington state and New York in the north, stretching southward through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, down to northern Peru on the Pacific coast and Brazil on the Atlantic coast. It is also an iconic year-round resident of the Galapagos Islands and various archipelagos in the West Indies.

Habitat: Restricted almost exclusively to marine and coastal environments. This species favors shallow inshore waters, estuaries, bays, sandy beaches, and mangrove swamps. It avoids open ocean environments far from land, as well as interior freshwater bodies, relying heavily on coastal structures like sandbars, rocky cliffs, and man-made piers for roosting.

Feeding: Consists almost entirely of small schooling fish that dwell near the surface, such as anchovies, sardines, menhaden, and silversides. It is renowned for its spectacular plunge-diving technique, spotting prey from heights of up to 60 feet in the air, folding its wings, and diving headfirst into the water to scoop up fish in its expansive pouch, which can hold up to three gallons of water that is drained before swallowing.

Behavior: Highly social and gregarious, this bird is frequently seen flying in single-file lines or V-formations very close to the water´s surface, utilizing dynamic soaring to minimize energy expenditure. They are diurnal and nest or roost in large communal groups. While generally silent at sea, they can emit low grunts or croaks within their breeding colonies.

Nesting: Occurs in highly concentrated colonies situated on isolated coastal islands or within dense mangrove forests to avoid land predators. The nests can be simple scrapes on the ground lined with feathers and debris, or substantial stick platforms built in low trees. A typical clutch consists of 2 to 3 chalky white eggs. Both parents share incubation duties for approximately 35 days, keeping the eggs warm with their highly vascularized webbed feet.

Conservation status: Listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. This species represents one of conservation´s greatest success stories, having recovered remarkably after devastating population crashes in the mid-20th century caused by DDT poisoning, which led to severe eggshell thinning. Thanks to strict environmental regulations and the banning of these chemical pesticides, its populations have bounced back securely.