Species: Pelecanus occidentalis

Brown Pelican
Species

    Size varies greatly depending on location, with the smallest individuals in the West Indies, medium birds on the coasts of the U.S. (Atlantic and Gulf), Central America, and Colombia and Ecuador, large birds on the coasts of California, Mexico, and Galapagos Islands, and very large in Peru and Chile (NGS 1983, Palmer 1962).

    Articles:

    Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

    This article was originally published by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as part of its annual report Threatened and Endangered Wildlife in Washington.

    Brown pelican. Photo by D. Stinson.
    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Craniata
    Class

    Aves

    Order

    Pelecaniformes

    Family

    Pelecanidae

    Genus

    Pelecanus

    Classification
    Informal Taxonomy
    Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Other Birds
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Pelecaniformes - Pelecanidae - Pelecanus - Molina, 1782 [Peruvian Pelican], now considered distinct (e.g. Sibley and Monroe 1990, Ridgely and Greenfield 2001) on the basis of much larger size, differences in color of plumage and soft parts (Wetmore 1945), and absence of interbreeding (Banks et al., 2008).

    Size varies greatly depending on location, with the smallest individuals in the West Indies, medium birds on the coasts of the U.S. (Atlantic and Gulf), Central America, and Colombia and Ecuador, large birds on the coasts of California, Mexico, and Galapagos Islands, and very large in Peru and Chile (NGS 1983, Palmer 1962).

    Short General Description
    Brown Pelican, Pelecanidae
    Migration
    true - true - true - Many stay close to nesting areas in winter. A portion of the eastern subspecies migrates to Florida, the Caribbean coasts of Colombia and Venezuela, and the Greater Antilles for winter. During cold winters, some Texas breeders winter along the Gulf Coast of Mexico. Individuals from breeding areas north of Florida winter mainly in Florida and Cuba; young and adults from Florida breeding colonies are more sedentary (young generally do not disperse more than 250 km from natal areas, adults may move up to 450-575 km from colony during the nonbreeding season) (Johnsgard 1993).
    Non-migrant
    true
    Locally Migrant
    true
    Food Comments
    Eats mainly fishes, especially menhaden, mullet, sardines, pinfish, and anchovies in U.S. waters; sometimes euphausiids; dives into water from air (USFWS 1980). Feeds by diving in deeper water, by swimming, sometimes in cooperative groups, in shallower water (Hilty and Brown 1986). Rarely reported scavenging or preying on eggs or young of water birds. Forages in shallow estuarine and inshore waters mostly within 10 km of the coast (Johnsgard 1993).
    Reproduction Comments
    Colonies include up to 150 pairs in Trinidad.
    Ecology Comments
    Populations fluctuate considerably from year to year and from place to place.
    Length
    122
    Weight
    3636
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G4
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    1996-11-20
    Global Status Last Changed
    1996-11-20
    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=__&US.AL=S1&US.AZ=__&US.CA=SNR&US.DE=__&US.FL=S3&US.GA=S2&US.IL=__&US.LA=S2&US.MD=S1&US.MS=__&US.NV=__&US.NJ=__&US.NC=S3&US.OR=__&US.SC=S1&US.TX=S3&US.VA=S2&US.WA=__" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    Global Range
    H - 2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles) - H - Subspecies CALIFORNICUS: breeds along Pacific coast in southern California (Anacapa Island), and in Mexico on islands off Baja California and on islands in the Gulf of California (south to Isabella and the Tres Marias Islands); possibly locally along the coast of Sonora and Sinaloa; vagrants have occurred north to British Columbia and Idaho (Johnsgard 1993).
    Global Range Code
    H
    Global Range Description
    2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.817986