EnglishFlanked by the vast Pacific on one side and the Atlantic on the other, Central America’s shores stretch for hundreds of miles, hosting an impressive variety of coastal wildlife. Among their standout inhabitants is the brown pelican, a formidable seabird and one of the largest in these waters.
Scientifically named Pelecanus occidentalis, their presence signals not just natural beauty but also the health of marine ecosystems. These pelicans are vital indicators of coastal wellbeing, offering clues about the region’s environmental state. As an organization dedicated to conserving the wildlife corridors where these majestic birds live, educating the public about these vital species is part of our life’s work.
Let’s explore a few curious insights into fascinating birds.
Brown Pelican Facts
Of the eight known pelican species, the brown pelican is the smallest among them. Despite its more modest size, it compensates with its vivid appearance. While most pelicans are draped in pale, whitish feathers, the brown pelican boldly defies this standard, sporting a darker, earth-toned plumage. During the breeding season, their coloring intensifies, adding even brighter accents to their already distinctive looks, making them a truly striking exception in the pelican family.
These birds tend to choose a new mate every year. At the start of the breeding season, males will attempt to win a mate by selecting a nesting site and putting on courtship displays. Competition for nesting sites between males can be fierce, as brown pelicans tend to nest in large colonies comprising hundreds or even thousands of individuals.
Once a breeding pair has formed bonds, the male and female will share the duties of building the nest and brooding the eggs. The females usually lay between two to four eggs every year.
Perhaps it’s this sociable, flock-loving disposition that makes the brown pelican so at ease around people. These birds are often found gracing both the Pacific and Atlantic shores, and they’ve developed quite the reputation for lingering near fishing boats and piers, where they seem perfectly content mingling with humans. There have been instances of brown pelicans being tamed by people who have won the birds’ trust with offerings of fish.
The Pelecanus occidentalis’ affections can be won through its appetite. Like other members of its kind, it sports a throat pouch disproportionate to its frame. An essential tool for catching meals, this pouch can hold up to 2.42 gallons which contrasts sharply with its stomach’s smaller 0.84-gallon capacity.
This size disparity might just have been the muse for poet Dixon Lanier Merritt’s famed limerick, believed to have been inspired by the quirky feeding habits of the pelican species:
“A gorgeous bird is the pelican, Whose beak will hold more than his bellican!“
Ideal Habitat for Brown Pelicans
Brown pelican habitats comprise the Atlantic coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific coast. Outside of the breeding season, the Pacific population’s range extends all the way up to Washington and southern British Columbia in the north, and down to northern Peru in the south. Year-round resident populations of Pacific brown pelicans can be spotted from southern California and Mexico to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Nesting Sites
These marine birds often establish colonies off the mainland, usually on rocky islands close to shore. The reason the brown pelicans choose these islands as their nesting sites is they are better protected from predators on these mostly uninhabited islands.
Brown pelicans build their nests anywhere from level ground to rocky outcrops and sea-facing cliffs depending on the local geography. When nesting on the mainland, these pelicans have been observed to build nests in trees and shrubs to deter predators and nest invaders.
Fishing Spots
They dedicate much of their time to pursuing schools of fish. Despite their strong swimming abilities, these birds tend to stay close to shore, avoiding deep, open waters. Their fishing excursions typically remain within four or five miles of land so they don’t stray too far from familiar coasts. As a result, they set up their colonies in areas where large schools of their preferred fish swim close to shore.
What Do Brown Pelicans Eat?
Like its pelican relatives, this member of the Pelecanidae family primarily subsists on fish, making it a classic piscivore. Yet, this particular species employs techniques distinct from its cousins.
Diet
When it comes to their preferred cuisine, brown pelicans gravitate towards schooling fish. Depending on where they reside, their main courses might consist of anchovies, sardines, or mackerel. Other regular meals for these birds include menhaden, herring, and mullet, showcasing the variety of their aquatic diet.
Like all other pelican species, the brown pelican is piscivorous, mainly surviving on a diet of fish. However, unlike its fellow pelicans, brown pelicans employ some unique tactics that set them apart from other species. In some cases, they will even eat crustaceans and prawns. There are also freak incidents of brown pelicans eating the young or eggs of other bird species with whom they share their range and even cannibalizing nestlings in their own colony!
Hunting Methods
Unlike most of its pelican kin, the brown pelican employs a dramatic plunge-diving technique to seize its prey. From a lofty position of 60 to 70 feet above the water, the bird scans the surface below. Once a school of fish swims near the top, the pelican dives with precision, mimicking the hunting style of smaller birds like kingfishers. This unique approach sets it apart, allowing the brown pelican to strike efficiently while in flight.
The impact of the pelican’s body hitting the surface stuns the fish, which the pelican then scoops up in its throat pouch before flying away. Only the Peruvian pelican, the closest relative of the brown pelican, uses a similar hunting method.
This hunting style means that pelicans must frequently rely on the efforts of other marine predators, such as sharks, dolphins, and predatory fish. These animals usually pursue schools of fish from the depths toward the surface, creating an opportunity for the brown pelican to employ its signature tactics.
On occasions where the water is either too shallow or too murky for the brown pelicans to successfully plunge-dive, they revert to methods used by other pelicans, sitting on the water’s surface and scooping fish up in their large bills.
How To Identify Brown Pelicans
Together with the Peruvian pelican, the brown pelican breaks away from the typical white-feathered look common to its pelican relatives. It derives its name from its distinctive gray-brown coat, which morphs in shade as the bird ages. This evolving coloration sets these birds apart, marking them with a uniqueness unmatched by the more uniformly white-plumaged pelicans.
Newly hatched nestlings have downy feathers and are born blind. As they reach the juvenile stage, they develop a coat of entirely brown feathers. Adults tend to have gray-brown bodies, yellow heads, and white necks. During the breeding season, the neck feathers change their colors to chestnut brown while bright red patches develop on the throat pouch and bill.
Though it is the smallest of all pelicans, it’s still a large bird—typically one of the largest in its marine habitats. The brown pelican stands between 45 and 54 inches tall and has a wingspan of over 90 inches. Their large, powerful wings allow them to glide over the sea for long distances, powered by occasional wingbeats.
Brown Pelican Male vs Female
The main differences in brown pelicans’ appearances can be noted between juveniles, non-breeding adults, and breeding adults. The species doesn’t display much sexual dimorphism, with the exception of males being slightly larger than females. Therefore, it’s difficult to point out brown pelicans’ male vs female characteristics that allow observers to guess the sex of the bird.
Threats To Brown Pelicans
Until 2009, brown pelicans were on the endangered list. Focused conservation efforts, like banning harmful pesticides and creating protected areas, resulted in a turnaround in their dwindling populations. Today, they are listed as “Least Concern” by IUCN. Still, pelicans are at risk from human activity. They get tangled in fishing lines and drown in oil spills. Overfishing can also deprive them of their natural food sources.You can help brown pelican conservation efforts by contributing to organizations like Paso Pacifico, an organization that preserves wildlife corridors within the pelicans’ range. Our efforts provide these magnificent birds a safe habitat to rear their future generations.