Species

American white pelican

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

A huge white pelican with a wingspan of nearly three metres that fishes in cooperating groups, wintering on Georgia's coast.

Photo Frank Schulenburg (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Intelligence

At a glance

Size: About 1.3 to 1.8 m long; wingspan about 2.4 to 2.9 m
Weight: About 5 to 9 kg
Habitat: Lakes, reservoirs, coastal lagoons and marshes
Diet: Fish, crayfish and salamanders
In Georgia: An uncommon but increasing winter visitor, mostly on the coast
Voice: Silent away from colonies
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Huge; white with black flight feathers; bright orange-yellow bill and pouch; in spring a flat plate grows on the upper bill
Told apart from: Brown pelican, which is grey-brown and plunge-dives
Told apart from: Wood stork, which has a bare grey head and long legs
Where to look: Coastal impoundments and reservoirs in winter

Behaviour

White pelicans do not dive. Groups swim together in lines or circles, herding fish into shallow water and scooping them up. They soar in large flocks on thermals.

Why they matter

With one of the longest wingspans of any North American bird, the white pelican is a spectacular sight. Its cooperative fishing is one of the clearest examples of teamwork among birds, and its growing presence in Georgia in winter is a recent change.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A scrape or mound on islands in inland lakes
Eggs — Usually two
Incubation — About 29 to 36 days
Chicks — Gather in creches; each fed by its own parents
Flight — At about nine to ten weeks
Lifespan — Wild birds over twenty years are recorded

Living around people

Pelicans tangled in fishing line need a rehabilitator; their size and bills make them hard to handle safely.

Misconceptions

Pelicans store fish in their pouch. The pouch is a scoop; fish are swallowed at once.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Wintering	Wintering	Leaving for western lakes	Nesting on inland lakes in the West	Nesting	Chicks	Chicks in creches	Young flying	Migration begins	Moving south	Arriving	Wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 79 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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