Brown Pelican

Brown pelicans mainly eat small fish that are found in schools near the water's surface, including anchovies, herring, and sailfin mollies. They are also known to steal food from other seabirds and scavenge for carrion (dead animals).

Brown Pelicans feed by plunging into the water, stunning small fish with the impact of their large bodies and scooping them up in their expandable throat pouches.

At the Zoo, they are provided with a variety of thawed fish.

Brown pelicans are found along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States, Mexico, and the northern part of South America. In different areas, some pelicans stay in one place all year, while others migrate to find food or nest.

Brown pelicans are rarely found more than 20 miles out to sea or inland on fresh water. They prefer shallow, coastal waters like estuaries and bays.

Predators like crows, gulls, raccoons, and feral cats have been known to prey on pelican eggs and chicks. Bald eagles, sea lions, and large sharks may prey on adults.

Brown pelicans saw a major decline in North America from the late 1950s to the early 1970s because of harmful pesticides like Endrin and DDT. Endrin killed pelicans directly, while DDT caused their eggs to have thin shells that broke easily. In 1970, brown pelicans were listed as an endangered species in the United States. Because of its impact on many species, DDT was banned in 1972 and Endrin use was reduced, which helped the pelicans recover. By 1985, the populations along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts had grown enough to be removed from the endangered list. Since the 1960s, pelican numbers have continued to rise, but they still face threats from human activities.

The species is very vulnerable to oil spills because they breed, rest, and search for food close to shipping routes. Their coastal breeding grounds can be easily disturbed by human activities, which often leads pelicans to abandon their active nests. Additionally, abandoned fishing lines can cause entangle pelicans, often resulting in death.

Brown pelicans are large and mostly dark brown, with white to pale yellow necks and black feet and legs. During breeding season, the backs and sides of their necks become a rich, dark reddish-brown. Their most recognized feature is their long beak, which has a hooked tip and a stretchy throat pouch that helps them catch fish.

Although they seem clumsy on land, pelicans are excellent fliers and strong swimmers. When they search for food, they glide just above the water in groups, flapping their large wings slowly and powerfully. They often catch rising warm air, called thermal updrafts, to fly high above the ocean or cliffs.

Contrary to popular belief, pelicans do not use their pouch for long-term storage. It is rather used as a kind of net and short-term collector for food and water. When a pelican sees a fish from the sky, it dives head-first from heights of up to 65 feet. They twist their bodies to protect their throat when they hit the water. As they dive, their throat pouch expands to catch the fish, holding up to 2.6 gallons of water. After catching the fish, they drain the water from their pouch and swallow the fish whole. They also use their throat pouch to keep cool, a behavior called "gular flutter," where they quickly flap the membranes in their throat to evaporate moisture and lower their body temperature.

When they float on water, pelicans keep their wings close to their bodies, which helps them stay buoyant with most of their body above the surface. They have strong legs with four webbed toes that help them paddle. Additionally, pelicans produce oil from a special gland to waterproof their feathers while they preen.

Highly social all year, pelicans breed in colonies of up to several thousand pairs. The breeding time for pelicans depends on where they live. In very northern areas, they breed in the spring, while in tropical regions, they can breed all year long. A male pelican chooses a nesting spot on the ground with good cover or in a treetop and uses a physical display to attract a female. Once he finds a mate, they work together to build their nest and stay together for the breeding season.

Brown pelicans can lay from one to four eggs. Both parents take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm using their webbed feet. After about a month, the chicks hatch and rely completely on their parents. The parents feed their young by bringing up soft, digested fish for them at first, and later switch to whole fish as the chicks grow. The young pelicans can fly and take care of themselves after about three months, but they will not be fully mature and able to breed until they are three to five years old.

Brown pelicans communicate in different ways, including visual signals, chemical cues, sounds, and physical touch. When choosing a mate or protecting their nest, adult brown pelicans make a low "hrraa-hrraa" sound and sway their heads. They also sometimes bow, which is often a sign of being defensive. Non-aggressive behaviors include moving their heads from side to side, raising their bills straight out, spreading their wings, and cleaning the feathers on the side of another pelican nearby. Baby pelicans can be heard peeping from their eggs up to two days before they hatch. Once they are out, nestlings make a high-pitched, scratchy call to get their parents’ attention, especially when the parents are out looking for food.

Brown pelicans are active during the day, but they can also be seen hunting at night when there’s a full moon. They usually sleep on land, either standing up or lying down on their bellies with their head resting on their shoulder and their bill tilted to the side. When they sunbathe, they often spread one wing out to the side but rarely spread both at the same time. While bathing, they dip their heads underwater, stretch their wings out, and flap them on the surface of the water. After they are done bathing, brown pelicans use their bills to spread oil from a special gland onto their feathers to keep them healthy.

In the northern parts of their range, brown pelicans migrate south during the autumn and return in the spring, around March and April. They migrate because of cold weather and less food available near the surface. However, some brown pelicans stay in the northern areas during the winter months. Pelicans in warmer climates usually do not migrate.