
I have always been intrigued by pelicans but haven’t been close to very many. The first time I came close to a pelican was surfing in Mexico where they would just land next to us and stare at us. They are silent and have a very judgmental kind of stare. As I approached them to get a closer look, they took off and went about their business. I’ve seen them all along the Pacific coast but never got a chance to get good photos of them until I visited San Diego to check out colleges for my daughters. If you love seals, sea lions and sea birds, La Jolla is an amazing spot to get your fill. I assume the laid-back brown pelicans of the area are just used to tourists because they could not care less that I was pretty close to their gathering place. I found this interesting information about California brown pelicans from the National Park Service:
Quick and Cool Facts
- Breeding range is from the Channel Islands south to central Mexico.
- The only breeding colonies of California brown pelicans in the western United States are on West Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands.
- The non-breeding range extends north to Vancouver, Canada.
- Brown pelicans build large nest structures on the ground, in trees, or on vegetation.
- The nesting season can extend from January through October.
- Brown pelicans normally lay three eggs and the adults share incubation duties.
- Brown pelicans can dive from 60 feet in the air.
- Brown pelicans can live up to 40 years old.
- A pelican’s throat pouch can hold over 2 gallons of water.
Pelicans in flight are spectacular! They fly in perfect synchronicity, flapping and gliding at the exact same time. You can see it in this image down the last feather.
I imagine this guy getting yelled at by his wife. “Where the hell have you been and where’s my lunch?”
and this guy showing off for the ladies…”check me out!”
A little preening is required in between flights.
It is amazing how small they can make themselves look when they sit.
This is my favorite image of the shoot and hangs in my house. It reminds me of my wife for some odd reason, you can guess which one represents me.
I hope you enjoyed seeing these birds and thanks for your support. Feel free to tell share some bird tales or drop some links.
pelicans are weird…
surprisingly good at soaring/gliding, and look very dinosaurish
There are some disturbing youtube vids of pelicans just up and eating a pigeon hanging out nearby.
Pelicans would be absolutely terrifying if they were bigger.
Two years ago, I was walking in the pygmy oak forest in Los Osos, CA watching brown pelicans skimming over the bay looking for fresh seafood. They are a treat to watch.
They are amazing. Watching them dive for fish is very entertaining but slightly terrifying if you are in the water surfing.
Oh, I bet. The closest I’ve gotten is paddleboarding in Morro Bay and if I’d seen a pelican bearing down I’d have crapped myself.
Thank you (Loveshaq) for these spectacular images!
Wow, these are incredible. The last one is my favorite too.
Last year when my family was in Yellowstone we saw pelicans. I never got around to finding out why, but for whatever reason they do range into the middle of the country.
I see them at the shore too, and while I can’t say I find them appealing, I still get a kick out of seeing them lumber along.
They like trout and Yellowstone Lake used to be full of them…
https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2019/03/bird-species-impacted-cutthroat-declines-yellowstone-lake
We see American White Pelicans every summer on Lake Cascade in Idaho.
Anglers apparently worry about them affecting the fish populations in Idaho. Not sure how warranted that is or not.
I’ll try to get some photos next summer.