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Pelicans

Pelicans are large aquatic fish eating birds feeding on fish from seas,
lakes and rivers.

Pelicans have two distinctive feeding methods. The brown pelican and the
larger Peruvian pelican plunge-dive from the air into the water for their
prey.

Most other species catch fish in shallow water. The pelicans store
the catch in their pouches to eat later or feed to their young.


They have long, flattened bills with great pouches of naked skin.
All four toes a are webbed.

Pelicans weigh up to 33 lb and have a wing span up to 10 ft.

They are widely distributed over warm regions.


Tropicbirds, Frigate birds, Gannets and Boobies lay one egg.
The other families lay 3 to 5. The birds live in large colonies
and build nests of twigs and branches



Picture Pelican



There are 6 families of Pelicans:

Anhinga
Cormorants
Frigatebirds
Gannets and Boobies
Pelicans
Tropicbirds


Alcatraz island, western California, in San Francisco Bay,
was named by Spanish Juan Manuel de Ayala who explored the
island in 1755. He named it Isla de los Alcatraces (Isle of the
Pelicans), after the large pelican population there.

In 1903, President Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island a
National Wildlife Refuge.



See Also:

Index of North American Birds


Index of All Bird Care & Birdie Fun Stuff

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