ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - American White Pelican


 American White Pelican

American White Pelican
Photo by Richard Day/Daybreak Imagery		 Numbers of this spectacular, enormous western species are increasing in Ohio, and it is becoming routine to find them in our waters.



American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

At-a-Glance

• Peak Breeding Activity: April-June

• Incubation: 29-36 days

• Clutch Size: 1-3 eggs

• Young Fledge: 60 days after hatching

• Typical foods: fish  
Description
Pelicans are huge water birds with long, flat bills and big throat pouches. They can grow to weigh up to 16.5 pounds with a wing span of 9 feet. Their necks are long and bodies robust. The American white pelican is white, with black primary feathers and a yellow-orange bill.

Habitat and Habits
Fond of soaring, white pelicans occasionally catch thermals and rise so high they disappear from sight. The huge pouch under the bill, which they use to scoop up fish, can hold up to three gallons of water! Pelicans don't normally vocalize away from nesting sites, but can create piggish grunts.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
Pelicans nest in colonies on low mounds of earth and debris found on marshy islands. Occasionally, they might nest on rocky islands in desert lakes.