Brown pelican

Natalie Richards

field guide

November 16, 2015

Brown pelican

The brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, lives along beaches and shorelines near shallow waters and can often be seen perched on piers, pilings, boats and jetties. Rarely found more than 20 miles out to sea or inland in freshwater. Brown pelicans are endothermic, heterotrophic, and have bilateral symmetry. The brown pelican feeds primarily on fish such as menhaden, herring, sheepshead and silversides and can eat up to 4 pounds of fish per day. It hunts by flying high above the water to find a school of fish, then diving head-first into the water to catch its prey. After catching a fish underwater, pelicans hold it (and a lot of water) in their throat pouch. Once they surface, pelicans point their bill downward to allow the water to drain out and then tilt their bill upward to swallow the fish. They have no natural predators, but humans have decimated many of them. An interesting fact about this organism is that it is the smallest pelican species in the world. Also, unlike most animals, brown pelican returning parnets can recognize their offspring. Brown pelicans are large, stocky, seabirds with thin necks and long bills. They are a grey-brown color with yellow heads and white necks. A behavioral adaptation is that brown pelicans feed by plunging into the water, stunning fish, to easily capture them. Next, a functional adaptation is that adults have very good eyesight, so it can see schools of fish and other types of prey swimming in the ocean. Lastly, and structural adaptation is that it has a large pouch to hold and secure fish. The domain for the brown pelican is eukaryote, and the kingdom is animalia. Next, the phylum is chordata, and the class is aves. Next, the order is pelecaniformes, and the family is pelecanidae. Lastly, the genus is Pelecanus, and the species is occidentalis. Brown pelicans are the best!