The Brown Pelican is the smallest pelican in North America and the only one that dives from heights of up to 65 feet to catch fish, hitting the water with a spectacular plunge. Air sacs under the skin cushion the impact and help it float back to the surface. It was devastated by DDT, removed from the Endangered Species list in 2009 after a remarkable recovery.
Habitat
Coastal beaches, bays, estuaries, and ocean waters
Diet
Fish caught in plunge dives
How common
Common
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