(Pelecanus occidentalis ) Alena Butler Michelle Floyd Kristy Wales period 1 1/27/99

Habitat Coasts; southern U.S. to northern Brazil to Chile. It lives in salt bays. Mostly over shallow waters along immediate coast, especially on sheltered bays. Coasts; southern U.S. to northern Brazil to Chile. It lives in salt bays. Mostly over shallow waters along immediate coast, especially on sheltered bays.

It has a ponderous dark color. Adults have white about the neck and head. Younger birds have dark heads with whitish under parts. Its size,shape,and flight indicate its habit of plunging bill-first into water. Appearance

Feeding CARNIVOR; The brown pelican eats almost entirely fish, such as menhaden, smelt, and anchovies, also crustaceans. : Carp, chubs, perch, catfish, some salamanders and crayfish.

Reproduction n The white pelican breeds from March through June, and usually lays two eggs. Both males and females incubate the eggs. Young pelicans are fed by their parents. The young put their bills into the throats of the parents to eat partly digested fish.

Birth Size & Adult Size Large white bird, 50 to 70 inches long, with a wing span of 8 to 9.5 feet, weighing 10 to 17 pounds. It has black wing tips and an orange-colored bill. Their feet are webbed to aid in swimming. The skin pouch is suspended from the lower half of the pelican’s straight bill. BirthAdult

Life Expectancy One captive American white pelican lived to 34 years of age.

Endangered American White Pelican: (estimated continental population 1995) 125,000 nests (continental) representing: 250,000 adult birds plus estimated 150,000 pre-breeding 1 and 2-year chicks Suggests total 1995 population of 400,000 fledged birds in continental range.

Bibliography n Source: Rappole, J.H. and G.W. Blacklock Birds of Texas: A Field Guide. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas. n "White Pelican: An Endangered Species - Web Pages by Ray Rasmussen" n 1997 Encyclopedia Britannica.online n Photograph from "Rocky Mountain Wildlife" © David Dahms