Bird Album
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus, 1766
3.4 kgWeight
The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water.
Busiest months: April and November · Most records: United States, Mexico, Panama
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: April and November · Most records: United States, Mexico, Panama
Brown Pelican has been recorded at 897 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 48 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Fort De Soto ParkUnited States23,022 records
- Southeast Farallon IslandUnited States16,001 records
- Pt. Pinos – seawatch onlyUnited States15,450 records
More places
- Pillar Point HarborUnited States12,489 records
- South Padre Is. – Birding and Nature CenterUnited States11,041 records
- South Padre Is. – WBC/Conv. Center/Laguna Madre TrailUnited States10,752 records
- Bolsa Chica Ecological ReserveUnited States10,373 records
- San Diego River mudflatsUnited States8,770 records
- Huntington Beach SPUnited States8,638 records
- Malibu Lagoon – State Beach including LagoonUnited States8,319 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mouth of the Amazon River, and along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. The nominate subspecies in its breeding plumage has a white head with a yellowish wash on the crown.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Brown Pelican?
The Brown Pelican weighs around 3.4 kg.
Where does the Brown Pelican live?
Its breeding range: North America, Middle America, South America: coastal southern California to Ecuador including Galápagos (eastern Pacific Ocean); Maryland through Caribbean (western North Atlantic Ocean). It is most often recorded in United States, Mexico and Panama.
When is the best time to see the Brown Pelican?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and November (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Brown Pelican endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Brown Pelican as Least Concern.
What does the Brown Pelican eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Brown Pelican in?
It belongs to the family Pelicans (Pelecanidae), order Pelecaniformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 3.4 kg
- Habitat
- Ocean
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 495 mm
- Tail
- 128 mm
- Bill
- 320 mm
- Tarsus
- 72 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Middle America, South America: coastal southern California to Ecuador including Galápagos (eastern Pacific Ocean); Maryland through Caribbean (western North Atlantic Ocean)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Pelicans Pelecanidae
- Genus
- Pelecanus
Other birds in the genus Pelecanus
Great White PelicanPelecanus onocrotalus
Pink-backed PelicanPelecanus rufescens
Spot-billed PelicanPelecanus philippensis
Dalmatian PelicanPelecanus crispus
Australian PelicanPelecanus conspicillatus
American White PelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchos
Peruvian PelicanPelecanus thagus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Isaac Lord. ↗
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