American White Pelican

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmelin, JF, 1789

5.6 kgWeight

The American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is a large aquatic soaring bird from the order Pelecaniformes.

Busiest months: January, May and November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January, May and November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

American White Pelican has been recorded at 657 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 19 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Estero Llano Grande SP WBCUnited States15,933 records
IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, IrvineUnited States14,798 records
Riverlands Migratory Bird SanctuaryUnited States11,532 records

More places

Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Ctr.United States9,495 records
Hagerman NWRUnited States8,734 records
Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water RanchUnited States8,603 records
Mitchell Lake Audubon CenterUnited States8,516 records
Bolsa Chica Ecological ReserveUnited States7,864 records
Cherry Creek SPUnited States7,698 records
Merritt Island NWR – Black Point Wildlife DriveUnited States7,533 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Mexico Cuba Belize Panama Honduras El Salvador

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is a large aquatic soaring bird from the order Pelecaniformes. It breeds in interior North America, moving south and to the coasts, as far as Costa Rica, in winter.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the American White Pelican?

The American White Pelican weighs around 5.6 kg.

Where does the American White Pelican live?

Its breeding range: North America: inland south-central British Columbia and northeastern Alberta to west-central Ontario (southwestern, south-central Canada) to central California and Texas (southwestern, south-central USA). It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the American White Pelican?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, May and November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the American White Pelican endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the American White Pelican as Least Concern.

What does the American White Pelican eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the American White Pelican in?

It belongs to the family Pelicans (Pelecanidae), order Pelecaniformes.

At a glance

Weight: 5.6 kg
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 561 mm
Tail: 146 mm
Bill: 320 mm
Tarsus: 116 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: inland south-central British Columbia and northeastern Alberta to west-central Ontario (southwestern, south-central Canada) to central California and Texas (southwestern, south-central USA)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2