American pelican

American White Pelican 

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Earlier this October we slowly began seeing one of our yearly migrants that has started migrating to the Charleston area, we believe, within the last 10 years. This could be due to climate change, sea level rise, habitat loss, habitat preference, or a combination of all of those things. This animal is the stunning and quite large, American White Pelican. 

Typically, this bird will fly from the gulf coast up the Mississippi flyway to the midwest for summer months starting in February and migrating through March. During the fall migration (starting in as early as September through November), the bird flies south back to the gulf coast BUT it also has started using coastal areas in the Carolinas as a wintering ground! 

Like the eastern brown pelican, the American white pelican is a large bird. The eastern brown pelican can have a wingspan upwards of 6 feet long. The American pelican’s wingspan can reach lengths of up to about 9 feet long. This is the second longest wingspan in the US, falling slightly behind the California Condor at about a 9.5 foot wingspan!  

Not only do the American pelicans have a longer wingspan than eastern brown pelicans, but they also feed differently. Eastern brown pelicans can dive from heights of about 60 feet. American pelicans will sometimes collaboratively corral fish into shallow waters or individuals will sit like a duck and scoop fish with their bills.

American white pelicans and other birds sharing pelican island!