Brown Pelican

The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is the smallest of the world's eight pelican species — though "small" is relative; adults still reach 4.5 feet long with 7-foot wingspans and weigh up to 12 pounds. They are the only pelicans that dive from the air to catch fish, plunging from heights up to 60 feet at speeds approaching 40 mph and using their throat pouches to scoop water and prey together.

Brown pelicans were nearly wiped out across most of their range by DDT in the mid-20th century. The pesticide caused dramatic eggshell thinning, leading to massive reproductive failure. Louisiana — where the brown pelican is the state bird and appears on the state flag and state seal — lost its entire breeding population by the early 1960s. The species was listed as Endangered in 1970, the DDT ban followed in 1972, and over the next several decades brown pelicans recovered spectacularly. The species was removed from the Endangered Species List in 2009.

The plunge-diving technique is extraordinary to watch. Pelicans scan from 30-60 feet up, then fold their wings and arrow into the water at high speed. Air sacs under the skin cushion the impact. The throat pouch can hold up to 3 gallons of water; the pelican drains the water out the sides of its bill before swallowing the fish. The species is remarkably accurate even in choppy seas.

Brown pelicans are coastal birds, found along the Pacific coast from Washington south through Mexico and along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Maryland south through the Caribbean. They are uncommon to absent on inland water bodies — the closely related American white pelican is the inland species.

Brown pelicans nest in large colonies on islands and coastal cliffs. Both parents incubate eggs and feed chicks regurgitated fish. Adult breeding plumage includes a dark chestnut-brown neck — the source of the common name; non-breeding adults and juveniles have entirely white heads and necks.