American White Pelican

American White Pelican, adult, nonbreeding plumage

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About the map

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American White Pelican, juvenile

American White Pelican, beginning pre-alternate molt.

American White Pelican, in flight

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Sound
4. Range
5. Food
6. Conservation Status
7. Other Names

Breeding on lakes throughout the northern Great Plains and mountain West, the American White Pelican is one of the largest birds in North America. It winters along the coasts, but breeds only inland.

Cool Facts

• The White Pelican does not dive for fish as the Brown Pelican does. Instead, it dips its head underwater to scoop up fish. Several pelicans may fish cooperatively, moving into a circle to concentrate fish, and then dipping their heads under simultaneously to catch fish.

Description

• Size: 127-165 cm (50-65 in)
• Wingspan: 244-290 cm (96-114 in)
• Weight: 4500-9000 g (158.85-317.7 ounces)

• Large, white waterbird.
• Long bill with extensible pouch.
• Legs short.
• Body large and heavy.
• Feet webbed.
• Wings long and broad, with black trailing edge.
• Tail short.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Immature

Juvenile similar to adult, but with dirty grayish markings on head and back.

Sound

Generally silent away from nesting colony. Nestling give whining grunts for food; adults have low, hoarse display calls.

Range

Range Map

© 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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Summer Range

Breeds in scattered locations from western Manitoba and Minnesota westward to northern California.

Winter Range

Winters in California, Mexico, along the Gulf Coast, and in Florida.

Food

Fish.

Conservation Status

A long-term decline stopped in the 1960s, and populations have increased since then.

Other Names

Pelican (blanc) d¿Amerique (French)
Pelicano Norteamericano (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Evans, R. M. and F. L. Knopf. 1993. American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). In The Birds of North America, No. 57 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists¿ Union.