Right? A pelican is probably one of the most widely recognized birds in the world. They are huge birds, with incredibly long bills and an expandable pouch. When they fly, they soar – and it is an awesome sight. These pelicans seemed so content. They were not rushed or hurried, nor stressed or bothered. They seemed to be enjoying a beautiful day with the fine company of others in their flock. Look – their necks are curled at angles that make a heart shape with their heads. I love stuff like this.

Strrrrrretchhhhhh! Looks like the cormorant (far right) ducked (ha) just in time.

These pelicans are American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) – not to be confused with the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). The Brown Pelican was the motivator for America’s first national wildlife refuge.

On March 14, 1903, without fanfare, President Roosevelt signed an executive order establishing Pelican Island as the first federal bird reservation. He would establish a network of 55 bird reservation and national game preserved for wildlife – the forerunner to the national wildlife refuge system. But Pelican Island was the first time that the federal government set aside land for the sake of wildlife.¹

Even with steps taken to protect Brown Pelicans “way back then,” they were still put on the US Endangered Species List in 1970. They are officially still classified as Endangered, but are under review for delisting. You can read all about their status with the USFWS at their site.  The IUCN also recently listed the Brown Pelican as Least Concern. As I have mentioned before, one of the two wildlife charities that I support is the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC), based in California. They specialize in rehabilitating pelicans and other birds and animals threatened by oil spills and fishing debris.

The White Pelicans are doing pretty well, according to Audubon’s report on their conservation status. These particular pelicans are at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas. White Rock Lake has its own group of volunteers who take it upon themselves to keep the lake and surrounding park area in tip-top condition. I think that is wonderful and remarkable. They have a spiffy website too – here’s the link. You’ll notice that the website name is very similar to the name of my pelican series…weird. I didn’t intend the coincidence, but their website existed before my post – so kudos and credit where needed.

I met a nice woman at the lake, also taking pictures. She told me that the pelicans at White Rock are mostly young or weak, and unable to make the trip to the coast. Whatever the reason, I am glad to have pelicans nearby, at least for awhile.

I’ll leave you with this last photo of a cormorant doing a little stretching of his own, while hanging out with his pelican buddies. Keep an eye out for at least two more installments in this series, For the Love of Pelicans!

One Response to “For the Love of Pelicans – No Mistakin’ That Bird”