Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
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Photo ©Patricia McQuadeThe Brown Pelican is smaller than the White, and lives at the ocean. It catches fish by diving into the water from high in the air and scooping the fish into its pouch. Then it tilts its bill up in the air so the water can drain out, and swallows the fish.
Brown Pelicans were almost wiped out by DDT, a pesticide that got into the fish they eat. It made the shells of their eggs soft, so the eggs wouldn’t hatch. After the use of DDT was banned, the Brown Pelican began to thrive.Habitat: Coastal
Feeding: Eats fish caught by diving into the water.
Nesting: Builds a rim of soil and debris 4-10 in. high on the ground,
or a saucer-like nest of sticks, grass, and reeds.
Eggs: 2-4, white. Incubation: 28-30 days. Fledge: 71-88 days.