[Length 62 in. Wingspan 108 in.]

American White Pelicans are common breeding birds on prairie lakes in the US and Canada. In winter, they often occur in large flocks along the southern coasts of the US, where their synchronized group fishing looks like a ballet on water. The fish are scooped up into their expandable throat pouches along with a considerable amount of water. The water is then drained by holding the bill straight up in the air. American White Pelicans often soar and circle high in the air like hawks, vultures, and other birds of prey. These were photographed flying along the Rio Grande River in southeastern Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: January 1988)

[Length 51 in. Wingspan 79 in.]

Brown Pelicans occur in tropical coastal waters of the New World. They are common, but decreasing, along the southern coasts of the US. They fish by diving headfirst into the water and scooping up fish with their elastic throat pouches. When not actively fishing, they often rest on jetties and pilings, as this one was doing when it was photographed in a marina along the southern Florida coast. This one was photographed at the Flamingo Marina in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: January 1991)

[Length 51 in. Wingspan 79 in.]

This Brown Pelican was photographed at Goose Island State Park, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 70-200mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens (EFL=202mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: February 8, 2008)

[Length 51 in. Wingspan 79 in.]

This Brown Pelican was photographed at Bolivar Flats, Port Bolivar, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=630mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: April 30, 2008)

[Length 51 in. Wingspan 79 in.]

This Brown Pelican was photographed at the south jetty inlet, Quintana, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=153mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: January 15, 2009)

[Length 51 in. Wingspan 79 in.]

This Brown Pelican landing on the water was photographed at the Birding Center, Port Aransas, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=630mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: August 23, 2009)

[Length 51 in. Wingspan 79 in.]

This Brown Pelican was photographed at the Port Aransas ferry terminal, Port Aransas, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=277mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: April 17, 2010)

[Length 51 in. Wingspan 79 in.]

This "Pacific" Brown Pelican was photographed over Morro Bay, California, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: November 1997)