Flying
Pelican
created by
A
common and familiar sight on beaches, on bays and along the coast, as
well as on public piers and following fishing boats to near-shore rocks
and islands, brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) inspire surprise
and delight for their large size, unusual appearance, and relative tameness.
Once near the brink of extinction from pesticides, they can be found
in large numbers nowadays, successfully nesting at places such as the
Islas Coronados off northwest Baja California, and on some
of California's Channel Islands. Lines of pelicans are often seen with
outstretched wings, reaching nearly seven feet across, "surfing"
on the air above incoming waves. They hunt for fish by 'aerial plunge-diving',
a spectacular behavior. Unlike most swimming birds, all four of their
toes are connected by fleshy webbing, shared by relatives such as cormorants
and boobies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claude G. Edwards
Water Birds
