American State Birds - Click on a bird to learn more
 

Brown Pelican

State bird of: Louisiana

Description

The Brown Pelican is the only of the seven species of pelicans in the world that is dark in coloration. The adult male pelican is mostly shiny brown with a dark red neck, white face and head. It has a conspicuous white eye, a short tail and webbed feet. The pelican has a huge bill and an extensible pouch. The pouch of eastern birds is greenish in color, while those of western birds are reddish. Females are identical to males but are slightly smaller. Immature pelicans have a white neck rather than a dark red one. Brown Pelicans can reach lengths of three and a half feet. Wing spans can be nearly eight feet long.

 Pelicans build large, bulky nests in small trees, shrubs, or, on the ground. Brown Pelicans often nest in colonies of other pelicans, cormorants, and herons. Females lay 1-3 whitish-colored eggs after an incubation period of one month. The eggs are incubated under the webbed feet of the adult birds. Young pelicans will leave the nest in two to three months. Pelicans regurgitate food to feed to their young.
 

Diet
The sight of a hunting Brown Pelican can be breathtaking. Brown Pelicans plunge headfirst into the ocean for fish. After the dive, the bird drains excess water from the sides of the bill and swallows the fish remaining in the pouch. Occasionally, gulls may try to steal the fish directly from the pelican’s pouch.
 

Range and Habitat
The Brown Pelican is found along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States north to southern Virginia. Largest populations occur in the Gulf Coast region. A population of Brown Pelicans also exists on the Pacific Coast of California. Brown Pelicans are also found in coastal regions of the West Indies, Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America. The Brown Pelican is strictly coastal and occurs in warm salt water regions.

Status
Although populations of the Brown Pelican were once decimated by the pesticide DDT, recovery efforts and the banning of the chemical have been successful. Today, Brown Pelicans are once again common.