Brown Pelican

Pelicans are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before swallowing. 
Adult Brown Pelicans are gray-brown birds with yellow heads and white necks. In breeding plumage, the back and sides of the neck turn a rich, dark reddish-brown. Immatures are gray-brown above (including the head and neck) with pale whitish belly and breast.

2. He has inverted his pouch!

3. Beautiful white feathers.

4. Preening.

5. Immature on left, adult on right.

6. Immature fishing.

7. Mature out fishing.

8. Mature resting.

9. Wheeling to dive for a fish.

10. Fishing.

11. Adult with gull who wants scraps.

12. Flock of  Brown Pelicans on an oyster bar.

13. Brown Pelican I rescued. One I had rescued used the "fingernail" 
at the end of the beak to cut me from my scalp down to my eye.
As you can see, I am holding his beak closed. 
It is amazing how little they weigh.

14. Check out what I call his "fingernail" at the end of the beak.

15. Blue eyes.

16. Fishing

17. He must open his beak to fill it with water and fish under water.

18. Preening.

19. Check out the paddles he has for feet!

20. Immature preening.

21. Adult resting.

22. Preening

23. Coming in.

24. Putting on the air brakes.

25. Posing

26. Posing again.

27. Launching.

28. Showing off.

29. Posing

30. What to label this?
Jug of mangrove branches?

31. Adult with two babies.

32. Close up of baby pelicans.

33. That is a huge feed bucket, lets see what is for dinner?

34. Time for a bath.

35. Then time to dry the wings!

36. What is holding him up there??

37. Fishing in pairs.

White Pelicans

White pelicans come around about once a year.

37. Coming in for a landing

38. Three in a row.

39. Those feet do not make much of an impression on the sand.

40. Closeup of the three amigos.

41. Black tips on their wings.

42. Beautiful. Feet tucked up.

43. They look like jet fighters in formation.

44. About to land.

Back to list of birds.