{"id":79091,"date":"2021-02-10T06:17:50","date_gmt":"2021-02-10T13:17:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=79091"},"modified":"2025-09-28T12:17:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-28T17:17:20","slug":"its-isnt-too-early-to-spot-an-american-white-pelican","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/02\/10\/its-isnt-too-early-to-spot-an-american-white-pelican\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Isn’t Too Early To Spot An American White Pelican"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WinterWinter American White Pelican on the wing \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 800, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

February isn’t too early in the year to spot an American White Pelican on the wing in northern Utah. In fact, I expect them to start showing up right about now. I checked eBird this morning and I can see a few reports of these large, white waterbirds.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican White Pelican sightings eBird 2021<\/span><\/p>\n

American White Pelicans breed here on Gunnison Island<\/span><\/a> in the Great Salt Lake. Our American White Pelicans are migratory and most of them spend their winters further south yet I have had American White Pelican sightings every month of the year.<\/p>\n

I usually see American White Pelicans at Farmington Bay WMA<\/span><\/a>, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a>, or circling in the sky in squadrons overhead.<\/p>\n

The pelican in the photo above was photographed on February 15, 2019 and that date was when I saw my first of year American White Pelicans at Farmington Bay WMA. I was super excited to see and photograph the pelicans I found that winter morning in the marshes.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican White Pelican – January 11, 2021 \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2021 my first of year sighting of an American White Pelican was on January 11th when I spotted a single pelican way, way out on the water at Farmington Bay WMA. I took a few crappy long distance photos of the pelican to document my first of the year sighting. This image won’t find its way into my galleries but it makes me smile just to view it.<\/p>\n

If you are looking for your first of year American White Pelicans in northern Utah it is time to watch for them on the wing or out on the open water.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

To view more of my American White Pelican photos plus facts and information about this species click here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

February isn’t too early in the year to spot an American White Pelican on the wing in northern Utah. In fact I expect them to start showing up right about now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,27,1022,697,26],"tags":[3966,4101,4052,4122,4067,4094,6384,4154,4,706,4018,373],"class_list":["post-79091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-white-pelicans","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-utah","tag-american-white-pelican","tag-clouds","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-immature","tag-marsh","tag-on-the-wing","tag-pelecanus-erythrorhynchos","tag-pelican","tag-pelicans","tag-sky","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-in-flight-farmington-mia-mcpherson-3581.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-kzF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51636,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/04\/13\/reporting-wing-tagged-american-white-pelicans-helping-birds-by-helping-the-peli-project\/","url_meta":{"origin":79091,"position":0},"title":"Reporting Wing Tagged American White Pelicans – Helping Birds by Helping the PELI Project","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I know that I will be reporting any wing tagged American White Pelicans I see while they are here in northern Utah and I hope that others will too and help out the Peli Project!","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":"American White Pelicans, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelicans-feeding-mia-mcpherson-8153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelicans-feeding-mia-mcpherson-8153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Pelicans","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/pelicans\/white-pelicans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Nonbreeding plumage American White Pelican in flight over Bear River MBR, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-flight-mia-mcpherson-6197.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-flight-mia-mcpherson-6197.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-flight-mia-mcpherson-6197.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/american-white-pelican-flight-mia-mcpherson-6197.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Wing Tags #123","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month I spotted a wing tagged American White Pelican on October 15th and saw it again on October 29th at Glover Pond and reported my sightings.","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":"American White Pelican with purple wing tag #123 - October 29, 2021","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/american-white-pelican-purple-wing-tag-123-mia-mcpherson-2041.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/american-white-pelican-purple-wing-tag-123-mia-mcpherson-2041.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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