As one of the world’s largest birds, American White Pelicans measure 127 to 165 cm (50 to 64 in.) long, and weigh 5 to 8 kg (11 to 22 pounds), according to the Canadian Museum of Nature. Their heavy bodies have a short tail and short legs with large, webbed feet. The American White Pelican wears thick rough plumage, white with black wing tips. Wingspan reaches up to 3 m (10 feet) across. They flap their wings slowly for a graceful flight.
Their yellow-orange throat pouch allows them to scoop food from water. In spring, adults grow a flat horn on their beaks that sheds after eggs are laid. Although usually silent, adults may emit a hoarse display call; nestlings grunt for food. In the wild, the American White Pelican has a lifespan of 12 to 14 years.
Habitat of the American White Pelican
Habitat of the American White Pelican includes lakes, marshes and rivers. They spend winters along the coast. Breeding sites are located on remote treeless islands, sandbars or inland. Distribution ranges from the Canadian prairie, south to southern California and the Texas Gulf coast. As a social species, pelicans maintain nests in colonies. A large proportion of the population nests in Canada and stays until the freeze-up in September. They winter in the southern U.S. to Guatemala, sometimes in the company of their saltwater cousins, the Brown Pelican.
Feeding
Diet for the American White Pelican includes fish, frogs, salamanders, crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates. Adults may consume up to 2 kg (4.5 pounds) of food per day. Fledglings, or young, eat about 70 kg (154 pounds) of regurgitated food before they are ready for flight. Parents may fly over 100 miles from their nests to search for food for their young.
Pelicans capture food by scooping up and straining up to 20 litres in their expansive throat pouches. Pelicans can forage together and circle to surround the prey fish. The birds then dip their beaks at the same time to capture the fish. Pelicans can also drive the fish to shallower waters.
Threats to the American White Pelican
Humans and industrial activities are just some of the threats that affect the habitat of the White American Pelican:
- Disturbing breeding sites: adults may abandon their young
- Drought, irrigation and recreational activities can change water levels and cause birds to abandon nests temporarily
- Industrial catastrophes, such as an oil spill in their winter habitat by the coast along the Gulf of Mexico
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the White American Pelican as a species of Least Concern. The population of the White American Pelican experienced long-term decline in the 1960s. Since the 1970s, the population increased. In the province of Alberta, Canada, the Wildlife Act designated several breeding areas as seasonal wildlife sanctuaries.
Sources
Natural History Notebooks. Canadian Museum of Nature: American White Pelican
South Dakota Birds and Birding: American White Pelican
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: American White Pelican
Kathryn Hatashita-Lee - City life inspires stories and images for Kathryn Hatashita-Lee. Her first children's story was published in an anthology of Canadian ...
