Brown Pelican
The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mouth of the Amazon River, and along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to northern Chile, including the Galapagos Islands. The nominate subspecies in its breeding plumage has a white head with a yellowish wash on the crown. The nape and neck are dark maroon–brown. The upper sides of the neck have white lines along the base of the gular pouch, and the lower fore neck has a pale yellowish patch. The male and female are similar, but the female is slightly smaller. The nonbreeding adult has a white head and neck. The pink skin around the eyes becomes dull and gray in the nonbreeding season. It lacks any red hue, and the pouch is strongly olivaceous ochre-tinged and the legs are olivaceous gray to blackish-gray. The brown pelican is the smallest of the eight extant pelican species, but is often one of the larger seabirds in their range nonetheless. It measures 1 to 1.52 m (3 ft 3 in to 5 ft 0 in) in length and has a wingspan of 2.03 to 2.28 m (6 ft 8 in to 7 ft 6 in). The weight of adults can range from 2 to 5 kg (4.4 to 11.0 lb), about half the weight of the other pelicans found in the Americas, the Peruvian and American white pelicans. The average weight in Florida of 47 females was 3.17 kg (7.0 lb), while that of 56 males was 3.7 kg (8.2 lb). Like all pelicans, it has a very long bill, measuring 280 to 348 mm (11.0 to 13.7 in) in length.
Photo Gallery
HJ Ruiz – November 7th, 2023
H.J. Ruiz - Avian101 
I get to watch these diving all day long while I’m at work — one of the benefits of having a watery office!
Oh, yes they are everywhere near the beaches and piers. Thank you, Linda. 🙂
Wonderful to see this gallery of photos of the magnificent brown pelican, H.J.
You must see them bothering fishermen for a fish at the any harbors. Thank you, Jet. 🙂
Wonderful photos! How I’d love to see a pelican 🙂
Are you inland or do you have beaches or piers? The parts you can see them is near the ocean! Thank you, Belinda. 🙂
Nowhere near the ocean 😏
Thé yellow crown on the breeding pelicans is quite striking!
Is one detail that they are breeding and they won’t confuse that. 🙂 Thank you Chris… by the way, sometimes I have difficulty to open your web page!
A pterodactyl with feathers!
🙂 🙂 Thanks, John!
I love that face in the breeding plumage!
It makes a difference for them! Thanks, D. ! 🙂
Even by your high standards, this was a really good gallery.
I thank you a lot, Tom! 🙂