By Peter Roos
THE BROWN PELICAN
Green back minnows have been everywhere lately, and the brown pelicans have been entertaining us while getting their fill.
The brown pelican is a seabird, spending most of its time on or near the ocean. This species feeds on fish and has a very unique way of foraging. Unlike other pelican species, who work in flocks to corral their prey, brown pelicans hunt alone. They dive head first into the water from heights as great as 50 feet (15.2 meters) to scoop up fish near the surface. Once they capture the fish, they tip their head upward or to the side to drain the water from their bill pouch. Though it looks as if the pelican submerges itself in the water during the dive, they usually remain on or near the surface of the water.
Brown pelicans inhabit beaches, sandbars, docks, dredge spoil islands, estuarine islands, mangrove islands, sand spits, and islets on both coasts of North and South America. Along the Pacific side, the species can be found from British Columbia to the southern tip of South America; on the Atlantic side, they can be found from Maryland to South America. In Florida, brown pelicans are widespread along the coast and can be seen inland during the non-breeding season.
Females lay between one and three white eggs, and incubation can take up to 30 days. Both adults incubate and feed the nestlings, which remain in or near the nest for approximately 70 days. Brown pelicans become sexually mature between the age of three and five years old.
Brown pelican populations suffered a severe decline during the 1960s and 1970s due to the effects of DDT. The population has rebounded since DDT was banned. Today, the main threats are habitat degradation, sea level rise, pollution, and the destruction of coastal wetlands. Increased coastal development may increase the presence of predators that will feed on pelican young and eggs, including rats, raccoons, opossums, crows, feral hogs, and coyotes.