Brown Pelicans are unique among the seven species of pelicans in that they are the smallest of the species and they are only found along the ocean shores and not on inland lakes. Also they are the only dark pelicans and the only species that plunge from the air to the water to catch their food. They use their pouch to scoop up the fish and strain the water from the side of their bill and swallow the fish. The pelicans pouch can hold close to three gallons of fish and water, which is two to three times more than their stomachs! The Brown Pelican can be found along the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Venezuela, the Pacific Coast from Southern California to Chile, and after nesting, can be found as far north as British Columbia and Nova Scotia. The Brown Pelican is on the United States Endangered Species List in all of its range except the Atlantic Coast, Florida and Alabama. |
