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.
Best time to see a Brown Pelican
The best time to see a Brown Pelican is January–July, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 95,490 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Brown Pelican? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Brown Pelican sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spotted a Brown Pelican?
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