brown pelicans

http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/birds/pelecaniformes/Pelecanus%20occidentalis/

Brown pelicans Pelecanus occidentalis

The brown pelican belongs to the Pelecanidae family. 


The brown pelicans are big and bulky sea-birds, they have a big bill,with a elasticated neck which holds large amounts of fish, large dark body with a sinuous (thin) neck. The birds are positioned perfectly whilst flying and gliding, with broad and long wings. Their wingbeats are very powerful and slow.The pelicans tend to stand around the docks and the shoreline looking for fish.  

 They tend to fly along the coasts and copy the highs and lows of the wave in search for fish. When a fish has been found they dive into the water, the impact manages to shock the fish, so it is easy for the pelicans to scoop up the stunned fish and the fish goes into the pouch.

The adult pelicans have brown/grey coloured body with white neck and yellow heads. When it is breeding time the neck plumage turns a dark red/brown colour, the juveniles are brown/grey including the neck. 

Allaboutbirds.org, (2015). Brown Pelican. [online] Available at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/brown_pelican/id [Accessed 5 Apr. 2015].