Pelicans are large birds with a big throat pouch which they use for fishing. They primarily inhabit warm regions. Pelicans swim well with short, strong legs and feet that have four webbed toes. A layer of special fibers deep in the breast muscles can hold the wings rigidly horizontal for gliding and soaring. Pelicans rub the backs of their heads on their preen glands to pick up its oily secretion, which they transfer to their plumage to waterproof it. The diet of a Pelican consists mainly of fish. They often catch the fish by expanding the throat pouch which must be drained above the surface before they can swallow. The white pelicans often fish in groups by forming a line to chase schools of small fish into shallow water where they then scoop the fish up. The brown pelican of North America usually plunge-dives for its prey. Some other species occasionally plunge-dive. [abstracted from Wikipedia]


Genus Pelecanus

Pelican, Brown Pelecanus occidentalis Found: The Americas
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) Dick Daniels in North Carolina   7) Sandy Cole in the Florida Everglades
   9, 10, 12) Alan D Wilson at San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park (Ecological Reserve), La Jolla, California
   11) Dick Daniels at World of Birds, South Africa
Juvenile has white belly.  1 - 8) Atlantic Brown Pelcian  9, 10, 11, 12) Pacific Brown Pelican




Pelican, Peruvian Pelecanus thagus   Found: South America (west coast)  
Photographed by:  1) Charlie Westerinen  2) Alastair Rae