The brown pelican

  What kind of bird scoops its dinner up and out of the water?  This exceptional creature is the brown pelican.  Unlike other pelicans, the brown pelican dives head first from sixty-five feet above water down into the ocean to catch fish.  Other species of pelicans fly close to the surface of the water to find their prey.  Brown pelicans prey mainly on small fish that form schools near the surface of the water.  They will sometimes scavenge dead animals and eat invertebrates such as prawn and shrimp.  Populating on the coasts between North and South America, the brown pelican enjoys living on warm beaches with plenty of fish.  These birds have dark brown feathers and an oversized orange or yellow beak.  The brown pelican is a sizable bird.  From the tip of their beak to the end of their tail both male and female brown pelicans measure about four feet long.  In addition, their wingspan is about six feet wide.  Fascinating humans with their many remarkable traits, the brown pelican is yet another reason to head to the beach!

A brown pelican in flight