American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos · Seabirds
American White Pelican in flight
San Diego, 6 March 2026
An American White Pelican over a San Diego lake in winter. It breeds on the big inland lakes of the northern prairies and winters on the coasts of California and the Gulf, and unlike the Brown Pelican of the surf it is a bird of fresh and sheltered water.
Unlike the Brown Pelican, which plunge-dives from height, the White fishes cooperatively at the surface: groups swim in a line or a horseshoe, beating the water with their wings to drive fish into the shallows where they can be scooped up together. Wingspan for wingspan it is one of the largest birds in North America, rivalling condors despite the far less dramatic reputation.
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