Pelicans - Acknowledge the Awkward
My family has a phrase for certain wildlife, "so ugly, they're cute." Brown Pelicans could be in that category. I like to call them "adorably awkward" My brother & I watched pelicans fishing when were on a dolphin boat cruise or has he called it, "drunk birds falling from the sky." They don't really make anything look easy, except possibly floating, they are really good at floating. Buoyant is the word. They have subcutaneous air sacs, which work like internal life jackets. Their bodies are made to be unsinkable. Titanic fans, the unsinkable Molly Brown Pelican, maybe??? I know. There's a reason I don't get invited to parties.
Pelicans center, cormorants on either side, seagull far right
Brown pelicans are the smallest pelican and the only ones that catch food by diving into the water. Their wings are half folded and they always turn their heads to the left before hitting the water, presumably to protect their esophagus, which is on their right side. They do not look elegant or graceful like other birds that fish by diving into the water. But they are very often successful. They use their large pouches under their bill to scoop up fish & the water surrounding the fish. This is where their "unsinkable" design comes in handy. Because they return to the surface with gallons water in their pouch. When they surface, they tilt their beaks forward to drain the water out. Then tilt their heads back to swallow the fish.
This is where things get interesting. Sometimes at this moment other birds will try to steal the fish from them. Seagulls have been seen sitting on the heads of pelicans. Why? To try to steal the fish from the pelican before they swallow it. Ever been annoyed by irritatingly unaffected seagulls trying to steal your food? At least, they don't sit on your head and try to steal it directly out of you mouth. (if that HAS ever happened to you, I want to hear about it. Please put that story in the comment section below)
If you've ever seen an adult Brown pelican, you might be curious how they got that name. They are ghost white when they are born and adults have white heads and undersides. They're backs actually look kind of a silver/grey color. They can live about 40 years, but are really only brown when they are juveniles for 3-5 years, which is similar to bald eagles. They also have a similar wingspan to bald eagles 6-7 feet and similar weight 6-12 pounds to a bald eagles 8-14 lbs. But when bald eagles reach their full adult coloring, they look like majestic, regal, wise old birds. Pelicans seem perpetually stuck in that awkward teenage phase, so maybe that's why they're named after their juvenile colors.
Sometimes you will see them flying and fishing alone, sometimes in a group. They do fly in formation like geese, but seem less serious about it. They also sometimes migrate, but not always. If the fishing & the temperatures are good where they are, they just stay there. If they wake up one morning & realize it's gotten uncomfortably cold, they will fly south or the fish are all swimming north, they might follow them. By comparison, geese migrate like they are trying out for the Olympics, but brown pelicans are happy with the club team. Not trying to impress anyone, "Hey, I'm just hear for the comradery and the food. Which seafood place are we going to after this? Nope, never heard of it, I'll just follow you."
four adult pelicans flying over the ocean
