{"id":1934,"date":"2011-02-19T10:44:36","date_gmt":"2011-02-19T17:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=1934"},"modified":"2025-08-12T04:44:56","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T09:44:56","slug":"brown-pelicans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/02\/19\/brown-pelicans\/","title":{"rendered":"Brown Pelicans – Feeding Behaviors and Identification"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JuvenileJuvenile Brown Pelican close up, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida – Nikon D200, f8, 1\/640, ISO 160, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 300mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve posted about American White Pelicans before so I thought I would give their “cousins”, the Brown Pelicans some coverage too. Although white and brown pelicans are similar in shape there are notable differences between the two species.<\/p>\n

Brown Pelicans are more slender than white pelicans and they are also smaller in weight, length and wingspan. Both are long-lived species, the oldest known brown pelican lived to be 43 years old according to BNA<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(a pay site). The color differences between white and brown pelicans are obvious.<\/p>\n

The juvenile brown pelican above was resting on some rocks with other pelicans nearby.\u00a0 I think the feather patterns on the back and wings are very interesting.<\/p>\n

\"BrownBrown Pelicans flying in formation – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 80-400mm at 310mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Flocks of brown pelicans often fly in lines or v-formations, at times they appear to be barely skimming over the surface of the water then rising up in what looks like an undulating wave then they glide back down again.\u00a0 When they are flying low over the water I have wondered if they ever crash into a wave but I have never seen that happen.<\/p>\n

Brown Pelicans feed by\u00a0diving head first \u00a0into the water to trap fish in the pouches of their bills. I once witnessed a brown pelican dive that came back up with a small shark in it’s bill and it swallowed the shark whole! It was pretty amazing to watch but too far away to get any decent shots other than documentary images.<\/p>\n

Usually prior to a dive the pelicans fly up then they twist their bodies & wings before they plunge towards the water.\u00a0 Gulls often circle around them hoping that some fish will spill out the pouch and they would be able to get a free meal without as much work.<\/p>\n

\"BrownBrown Pelicans about to splash down – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400MM VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

These spectacular dives happen extremely fast, for the image above I should have increased my ISO to gain more shutter speed because 1\/1000 was almost not fast enough! The juvenile on the far left and the three adults plunged head first into the waters of the Gulf.\u00a0\u00a0This photo was taken in January and although the water wasn’t as warm as it is in summer I know I had been in it to photograph other birds on that day. Crazy bird\u00a0photographer that I am.<\/p>\n

\"BrownBrown Pelicans hitting the water – Nikon D200, f6.3, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 175mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The gulls in the image above are laughing gulls.<\/p>\n

The pelicans plunge into the water first with their bills and\u00a0heads. At times most of the whole body of the bird will go under the surface of the water but just as often I have noticed that parts of the pelicans do not submerge.<\/p>\n

Good thing humans don’t feed like this or we would all be walking around with killer headaches!<\/p>\n

\"BrownBrown Pelican hitting the water head first – Nikon D200, f5.6, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 300mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The image above was taken just after the bill cut into the water but\u00a0before the head submerged, when I viewed this file full sized it appears that at this point the pelican’s nictitating membrane closes over the eye to protect it.<\/p>\n

\"JuvenileJuvenile Brown Pelican\u00a0floating by – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/750, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Juvenile Brown Pelicans are primarily brown, including the head and neck, the belly is a lighter creamy color. Their eyes are dark and only a little yellow shows on the bill at the age of the pelican above. The wing and back feathers have a diamond-like pattern to them.<\/p>\n

\"AdultBrown Pelican adult about to lift off – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Adults have lighter back and wing feathers with an almost striped appearance on the chest and belly, the bird above is nearly in full breeding plumage. There are two subspecies in North America, the Atlantic and Pacific. The bird above is\u00a0from the\u00a0Atlantic subspecies. An adult in breeding plumage Pacific subspecies would show more red on the bill and the pouch.<\/p>\n

\"BrownBrown Pelican splash down in a tidal lagoon – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1\/500, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Brown Pelicans are fascinating, unmistakable\u00a0birds to observe and photograph along the coasts of North America. I do know this; I wouldn’t want to be a fish under the brown pelican above!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Brown Pelican photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brown Pelicans feed by diving head first into the water to trap fish in the pouches of their bills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":152174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,143,25,2000],"tags":[4051,215,3994,4228,4052,4122,4077,56,4158,4,706,2474,3996],"class_list":["post-1934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-brown-pelicans","category-florida","category-pinellas-county-florida","tag-adults","tag-bird-id","tag-brown-pelican","tag-feeding-behavior","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-gulf-of-mexico","tag-juveniles-2","tag-pelecanus-occidentalis","tag-pelican","tag-pelicans","tag-plunge-diving","tag-water"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/brown-pelicans-bottom-dive-mia-mcpherson-3711.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-vc","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14431,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/02\/23\/comparing-american-white-pelicans-to-brown-pelicans\/","url_meta":{"origin":1934,"position":0},"title":"Comparing American White Pelicans to Brown Pelicans","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 23, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The recent arrival of American White Pelicans to the Salt Lake Valley started me thinking about the differences between Brown Pelicans and American White Pelicans.","rel":"","context":"In "American White Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"American White Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Brown Pelicans plunge-diving, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/brown-pelicans-feeding-mia-mcpherson-3721.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/brown-pelicans-feeding-mia-mcpherson-3721.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/brown-pelicans-feeding-mia-mcpherson-3721.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/brown-pelicans-feeding-mia-mcpherson-3721.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4754,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/04\/09\/adult-brown-pelican-in-flight\/","url_meta":{"origin":1934,"position":1},"title":"Adult Brown Pelican In Flight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) were common year round along the Gulf coast when I lived in Florida. I would see them floating in the water, resting on sandbars and beaches, diving for prey and in flight.","rel":"","context":"In "Brown Pelicans"","block_context":{"text":"Brown Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/brown-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Brown Pelican in flight, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/brown-pelican-flight-mia-mcpherson-8600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/brown-pelican-flight-mia-mcpherson-8600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/brown-pelican-flight-mia-mcpherson-8600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/brown-pelican-flight-mia-mcpherson-8600.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":77420,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/01\/06\/brown-pelicans-and-memories\/","url_meta":{"origin":1934,"position":2},"title":"Brown Pelicans And Memories","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Eleven years ago this morning I had an amazing time photographing flocks of Brown Pelicans plunge feeding in the Gulf of Mexico.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Brown Pelicans in flight with gulls, terns and skimmers, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelican-skimmers-gulls-terns-mia-mcpherson-3638.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelican-skimmers-gulls-terns-mia-mcpherson-3638.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelican-skimmers-gulls-terns-mia-mcpherson-3638.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelican-skimmers-gulls-terns-mia-mcpherson-3638.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7576,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/20\/brown-pelicans-on-the-gulf-of-mexico\/","url_meta":{"origin":1934,"position":3},"title":"Brown Pelicans on the Gulf of Mexico","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The forecast is calling for snow today and there is already a heavy cloud cover so looked back through my files and found some Brown Pelican images taken on a warm February morning in Florida to post today.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Brown Pelicans on the Gulf of Mexico, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelican-breeding-mia-mcpherson-6017.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelican-breeding-mia-mcpherson-6017.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelican-breeding-mia-mcpherson-6017.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelican-breeding-mia-mcpherson-6017.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33832,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/11\/30\/a-trio-of-brown-pelicans-over-the-gulf-of-mexico\/","url_meta":{"origin":1934,"position":4},"title":"Trio of Brown Pelicans Over The Gulf of Mexico","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Brown Pelicans are nearly as common in coastal Florida as Canada Geese are here in Utah but they are birds and I find them all appealing.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Brown Pelicans in an early morning flight, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelicans-feeding-mia-mcpherson-3718.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelicans-feeding-mia-mcpherson-3718.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelicans-feeding-mia-mcpherson-3718.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelicans-feeding-mia-mcpherson-3718.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11317,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/11\/29\/juvenile-brown-pelican-portrait\/","url_meta":{"origin":1934,"position":5},"title":"Juvenile Brown Pelican portrait","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I like Brown Pelicans and even though I don't see them here in Utah I have plenty of images on file that I took during the period of time that I lived in Florida.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Brown Pelican vertical pano, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/brown-pelican-juvenile-vertical-pano-mia-mcpherson-8811.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1934\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}