Brown Pelican
From WikiBird
Contents |
Size
Length: 107-137cm (42-54in), Wingspan: ??cm (??in)
Field Marks
Huge, dark bird with yellowish crown, white head and neck. Gray-brown body plumage with slightly darker flight feathers. Long bill with a pouch, dark on Atlantic/Gulf coasts; bill paler along Pacific coast, becomes yellow during breeding season. Flies with neck tucked. Immature is dark brown overall, gradually acquiring adult plumage over three years. Sexes similar.
Similar species
This bird is distinguished from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface.
Sounds
Feeding & Behavior
It dines mostly on herring-like fish. Groups of these birds often travel in single file, flying low over the water's surface. Plunges from great heights into water to catch fish
Habitat & Nesting
The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. These birds nest in colonies, usually on islands.
Range
It lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Cape Cod to the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. After nesting, North American birds move further north along the coasts in flocks, returning to warmer waters for winter.
Resources
