American White Pelican (Pelicanus erythtothynchos)

Few birds can make a flock of full-grown Brown Pelicans look small, but the American White Pelican certainly can.

These enormous white birds are among the largest flying birds in North America. Their broad wings can stretch nearly 9½ feet from tip to tip, yet they seem almost weightless when soaring overhead. A flock riding warm air currents can circle high above the landscape with barely a wingbeat.

Along the Texas Gulf Coast, American White Pelicans are especially noticeable during the cooler months. Large groups gather on bays, estuaries, lagoons, reservoirs, and shallow wetlands where they rest and feed together. Unlike their familiar Brown Pelican cousins, however, these birds don’t crash spectacularly into the water after fish.

Instead, they have an entirely different strategy.

American White Pelican Quick Facts

Quick Fact	Information
Common Name	American White Pelican
Scientific Name	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Family	Pelecanidae
Order	Pelecaniformes
Length	50–65 inches
Wingspan	96–114 inches
Weight	About 10–20 pounds
Diet	Primarily fish; also crayfish, salamanders, and other aquatic prey
Habitat	Lakes, marshes, bays, estuaries, lagoons, and shallow wetlands
Nest	Shallow depression on the ground
Conservation Status	Low conservation concern
Texas Occurrence	Common winter resident and migrant; some birds breed along the Texas coast

Measurements from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology place adults at roughly 50–65 inches long with wingspans between about 8 and 9½ feet.

How to Identify an American White Pelican

An American White Pelican is difficult to overlook.

Adults are enormous, heavy-bodied birds covered almost entirely in bright white feathers. They have short orange legs, large webbed feet, and an extraordinarily long yellow-orange bill.

Their most distinctive feature is the expandable pouch beneath that bill.

When the bird is resting on the water, the black feathers in its wings may be almost completely hidden. Once it takes flight, however, the contrast becomes dramatic.

Look for:

• A huge white body
• An extremely long orange or yellow-orange bill
• A large throat pouch
• Short orange legs
• Broad wings
• Black flight feathers visible when the wings are spread
• Slow, powerful wingbeats
• Long periods of soaring

The black flight feathers are one of the best field marks for identifying these birds at a distance.

That Strange Bump on the Bill

If you photograph American White Pelicans during breeding season, you might notice something rather strange.

Some adults develop a large, flat projection on top of the bill.

It looks almost as though someone glued a small orange fin onto the pelican’s beak.

This structure, sometimes called a bill horn or nuptial tubercle, develops during the breeding season. Both males and females may have one.

After breeding, the structure is shed.

So if you see a white pelican sporting a surprisingly impressive nose ornament, nothing is wrong with it. You’ve simply found a bird dressed for breeding season.

American White Pelican vs. Brown Pelican

Along the Gulf Coast, the most likely pelican comparison is easy: American White Pelican vs. Brown Pelican.

Despite belonging to the same family, the two birds look and behave very differently.

American White Pelicans are larger and almost entirely white. Brown Pelicans are mostly gray-brown, although adults have lighter feathers on the head and neck.

Their feeding styles are even more different.

A Brown Pelican may climb into the air, fold its wings, and plunge headfirst into the water.

An American White Pelican stays on the surface.

In fact, American White Pelicans do not normally plunge-dive for fish. They swim through shallow water and scoop prey into their bills instead.

That makes feeding flocks fascinating to watch.

What Do American White Pelicans Eat?

Fish make up most of an American White Pelican’s diet.

Common prey includes smaller fish living in shallow wetlands, including minnows, carp, suckers, and other locally abundant species.

They are opportunistic feeders, though. Depending on where they are feeding, pelicans may also capture:

• Crayfish
• Salamanders
• Tadpoles
• Other aquatic animals

Their menu changes with water depth and whatever prey happens to be abundant.

Despite their enormous bills, pelicans don’t normally store fish inside their pouches like a built-in lunchbox.

The pouch is a fishing net, not a grocery bag.

Once a pelican scoops up its prey, it raises its head, drains away the excess water, and swallows the food.

Cooperative Fishing

One of the most interesting American White Pelican behaviors happens when several birds hunt together.

Rather than simply scattering across a lake and hoping for the best, groups sometimes form a line or semicircle.

Then they begin swimming.

The pelicans gradually push schools of fish toward shallow water. Once the fish are concentrated, the birds dip their enormous bills into the water almost simultaneously.

It’s remarkably coordinated.

Several pelicans may dip, scoop, and raise their bills together before repeating the process.

This cooperative feeding behavior allows a flock to corral fish into areas where they become easier to catch.

For a bird that looks slightly ridiculous walking on land, the American White Pelican can be surprisingly sophisticated at dinner.

Habitat

American White Pelicans need water, but they aren’t strictly coastal birds.

During the breeding season, many populations live around freshwater lakes, marshes, and shallow wetlands across the interior of North America.

Nesting colonies are often located on isolated islands. These locations provide some protection from mammalian predators and human disturbance.

During migration, pelicans may stop along:

• Lakes
• Reservoirs
• Rivers
• Marshes
• Wetlands
• Coastal bays

Winter brings many birds toward warmer coastal areas.

Here they frequently gather around shallow bays, estuaries, lagoons, sloughs, and sandbars.

That makes the Gulf Coast excellent American White Pelican country.

American White Pelicans in Texas

Texas occupies an interesting place in the American White Pelican’s range.

Large numbers of migrating and wintering birds occur throughout the state, particularly along the coast. They can also appear on inland reservoirs and other suitable bodies of water.

Texas also supports breeding birds.

Historical breeding records are concentrated along the central and lower Texas coast, particularly around the Laguna Madre.

Fall migration through Texas generally builds from late summer into autumn, while northbound migration occurs during spring. Wintering birds can become particularly conspicuous along the coast.

And sometimes the spectacle isn’t on the water at all.

Look up.

Huge flocks may ride thermals high overhead. From the ground, hundreds of pelicans circling together can look like white flecks appearing and disappearing as the birds bank and expose first their white bodies and then their dark flight feathers.

Flight and Migration

American White Pelicans are exceptionally graceful flyers.

That seems almost impossible when you see one waddling around on land.

Their broad wings allow them to take advantage of rising columns of warm air called thermals. Instead of constantly flapping, the birds can spiral upward and then glide enormous distances while conserving energy.

Migrating flocks may fly in lines or V-formations. Others form huge circling groups as they climb inside a thermal.

Many northern populations migrate south toward the Gulf Coast, Mexico, southern California, and Central America for winter. Some populations in Texas and Mexico are much less migratory.

Breeding and Nesting

American White Pelicans are colonial nesters.

Rather than building an elaborate nest in a tree, pairs usually nest on the ground near other pelicans.

The nest itself isn’t exactly architectural genius.

Both adults scrape sand, gravel, or soil into a shallow depression. Some nearby vegetation may become incorporated, but the birds generally don’t travel around gathering sticks and other nesting material.

Females commonly lay two eggs.

Unfortunately, raising two pelican chicks is difficult.

Competition between siblings is intense, and usually only one chick survives. The stronger chick may prevent its sibling from feeding or directly attack it.

Young pelicans eventually leave their individual nests and gather with other youngsters in groups called crèches. Their parents continue returning to locate and feed them.

Imagine trying to pick your kid out of a crowd consisting entirely of hungry baby pelicans.

Apparently, pelicans have it figured out.

Conservation Status

The American White Pelican is currently considered a species of low conservation concern, and its North American population recovered considerably from declines during the twentieth century.

That doesn’t mean the species is free from threats.

Breeding colonies can be extremely sensitive to disturbance. Approaching nesting birds too closely may cause adults to abandon their nests, leaving eggs or chicks exposed.

Changes in wetland habitats can also affect pelicans.

Because the birds depend heavily on shallow wetlands and protected nesting islands, alterations in water levels can flood nesting areas, connect predator-free islands to the mainland, or eliminate productive feeding habitat.

Protecting wetlands therefore helps far more than the small creatures living among the reeds.

Sometimes it protects a bird with a nine-foot wingspan.

Fun Facts About American White Pelicans

• They are among North America’s largest flying birds. Their wingspan can approach 9½ feet.
• They don’t plunge-dive like Brown Pelicans. American White Pelicans generally catch prey while swimming on the surface.
• They sometimes fish cooperatively. Groups can work together to herd fish into shallow water.
• Their black wing feathers can disappear while they’re resting. The black is concentrated in the flight feathers and becomes obvious when the wings open.
• Breeding adults grow a temporary bump on the bill. This unusual structure disappears after the breeding season.
• They are impressive travelers. Flocks use thermals to gain altitude and soar long distances with remarkably little flapping.
• Their throat pouch isn’t used to carry dinner around. Fish are swallowed after the excess water is drained.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are American White Pelicans bigger than Brown Pelicans?

Yes. American White Pelicans are considerably larger. Their wingspans can approach 9½ feet, making them some of the largest flying birds in North America.

Do American White Pelicans dive for fish?

Not like Brown Pelicans do.

American White Pelicans usually remain on the water’s surface and scoop fish into their bills. Groups may also cooperate to herd fish into shallow water where they become easier to catch.

Why do American White Pelicans have black wings?

The black feathers are their primary and secondary flight feathers. When the wings are folded, much of the black disappears beneath the white feathers of the body and wings.

Once the bird takes flight, those black feathers create its striking black-and-white wing pattern.

What is the bump on an American White Pelican’s bill?

Breeding adults can develop a temporary vertical plate or horn on the upper bill. It appears during the breeding season and is later shed.

Are American White Pelicans found in Texas?

Absolutely.

Texas hosts migrating, wintering, and nonbreeding American White Pelicans throughout the state. Breeding also occurs along portions of the central and lower Texas coast.

When is the best time to see American White Pelicans on the Texas Gulf Coast?

Fall through spring is generally an excellent time to look for large concentrations of American White Pelicans along the Texas coast.

Search shallow bays, lagoons, estuaries, reservoirs, sandbars, and protected wetlands. Just remember to look overhead, too. Migrating flocks may be soaring so high that they’re easy to miss.

Naturalist’s Note

There is something wonderfully deceptive about an American White Pelican.

Sitting on the water, it looks enormous, heavy, and perhaps a little awkward. Put that same bird into the air, and everything changes.

Those enormous wings open. The black flight feathers suddenly appear. A bird that looks like it should require considerable effort just to remain airborne begins circling upward without seeming to work at all.

Then another joins it.

And another.

Before long, an entire flock may be spiraling through the sky.

Along the Gulf Coast, it’s easy to focus your attention on the birds standing in the marsh or swimming across the bay. American White Pelicans are a good reminder to occasionally point your binoculars — or your camera — up.

You never know what may be passing overhead.

Similar Species

A giant white bird with black wings can create a surprising amount of confusion from a distance.

• Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) – Smaller and much darker. Brown Pelicans also plunge-dive for fish, while American White Pelicans normally feed from the surface.
• Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) – Another large white bird with extensive black in the wings. Wood Storks have long legs that extend behind them in flight and a heavy, curved dark bill.
• Whooping Crane (Grus americana) – Very large and white with black wing feathers, but the crane’s long legs extend conspicuously behind the tail during flight.
• White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) – Much smaller, with a long downward-curved reddish bill. Adults show only a smaller amount of black near the wingtips.
• Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens) – White with black wingtips, but much smaller and built like a goose. Large migrating flocks can occasionally cause confusion when viewed from far away.