- Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Identification
55-70" (1.4-1.8 m). W. 8' (2.4 m)
- A huge white bird
- Long flat bill
- Black wing tips.
Breeding: has short yellowish crest on back of head and horny plate on upper mandible.
At the end of the breeding season they undergo a few changes to the alternate plumage appearance. The "horn" often seen on the upper mandible is lost, and many birds show short gray feathers on the crown and nape, which is described as Supplemental plumage.
Young birds duskier than adults.
Distribution
Breeds from British Columbia and Mackenzie south to northern California, Utah, and Manitoba; also along Texas Gulf Coast. Winters from central California, Gulf Coast, and Florida south to Panama.
Annual vagrant to most states in the northeast and along the east coast.
Taxonomy
Monotypic.[1]
Habitat
Shallow lakes, coastal lagoons, brackish ponds and marshes.
Behaviour
Diet
They work cooperatively in small groups, herding fish into shallow water and then scooping them up in their gigantic 3-gallon pouches.
Breeding
1-6 whitish eggs on a low mound of earth and debris on a marshy island; occasionally on rocky islands in desert lakes. Nests in colonies.
The plate-like growth(s) on the upper mandible are shed after the eggs are laid.
Vocalisation
They are mostly silent but will make croaking noises on the breeding grounds.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- enature
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) American White Pelican. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/American_White_Pelican
