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Bird: Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) Height: 48" Description: Large bird, found near the coast. Body is grayish brown. Legs are dark with webbed feet. Head of adult bird is capped with light yellow. Neck is white. Long bill forms a pouch for catching fish. Eyes of adult bird are light blue. Often seen soaring in v-shaped formations. Juvinile is browner and has a brown head. Adult plumage is aquired in the third year. Voice: Almost always quiet. Some soft sounds at nest.
Feeding: Pelicans feed by diving from the air head-first into the water. Underwater, the pouch on the bill opens and is used to net fish, sometimes of considerable size. Often feeds in flocks. Behavior at Wakodahatchee: Brown pelicans are not often seen feeding at Wakodahatchee. When they are seen they are usually roosting or flying over in small flocks. They are more common at the coast, where they can be seen diving and feeding just beyond the point where the waves break. Pelicans are also frequent visitors to fishing piers and any place that fish are cleaned. They are well practiced beggars.
Click here for more information on The Brown Pelican from eNature.com |
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This site is run with the approval and support of the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department. All contents Copyright © 2006 Andrew Gobien unless noted otherwise |
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