Pouch Bill 

      by Scott Severs      

American White Pelicans ©Wendy Marie Stuart Click to Enlarge

Every spring, several birders will call the Wild Bird Center and exclaim, "Did I see what I think I just saw?" or maybe, "You will not believe what just flew over while I was hiking." They have seen an unexpected bird, an animal that they thought could be found only at the seashore.

Many people are surprised to learn that the American White Pelican is a freshwater species for nearly half of the year. Only its relative; the Brown Pelican, lives near the ocean for its entire life.

Beginning in April and continuing through May, American White Pelicans push northward along the spine of the foothills and the adjacent plains. Marvelously built with huge nine-foot wingspans, pelicans soar on thermals like many of our favorite birds of prey. The warm earth produces rising pockets or currents of warm air. Stretching their broad, flat wings to their limits allows raptors and pelicans to capture this energy source and to ride a thermal like an elevator. As the thermal dies out with increasing height, the birds glide off in the direction they wish to travel, soon catching a new elevator along the way. By riding thermals, birds save energy during migration, because they don't have to flap so much. Traveling in flocks of up to 30 birds, white pelicans provide a dazzling contrast in a spring azure sky.

Changes in the Colorado plains have improved conditions for white pelicans. Over the last 100 years, the development of water reservoirs and the creation of artificial wetlands from gravel-mining operations have created a bountiful supply of ready-made fishing holes for pelicans and other wetland birds. White pelicans now have many places to stop over to rest or to hunt.

Unlike Brown Pelicans, which dive into the water to capture prey, white pelicans "troll" for their meals. Often working cooperatively with other pelicans, they swim shoulder to shoulder in slow lines, pushing fish toward shallow water so they will be easier to capture. As they scoop fish into their hue fleshy pouches, pelicans squeeze water out the sides of the bill openings. They then swallow their prey whole.

Most American White Pelicans continue north in the spring to their nesting grounds in the prairie wetlands of the central United States and Canada. In Colorado, pelicans nest only at three places; MacFarlane Reservoir in North Park, Antero Reservoir in South Park, and Riverside Reservoir in Weld County. Because they nest in colonies on the ground, white pelicans need isolated islands free of mammalian predators. The Colorado colony consists of nearly a thousand pairs, but most colonies include only several hundred pairs.

Breeding birds sport a hard keel at the top of their bills and a crest of yellow feathers. Pelicans dig small scrapes in the ground for their nests and use little (if any) nest material. Adults take turns incubating eggs (usually one or two) for about five weeks. After hatching, it takes about three months for the young to begin flying.

American White Pelicans can be seen throughout the summer at reservoirs along the Front Range. Barr Lake State Park often hosts these large birds-look for them moving across the water like large paddle boats. At the park they eat massive quantities of carp, catfish, and other fish. Most of the birds you'll see here are nonbreeders-they're not quite mature enough to join the nesting colonies farther north. With the onset of fall, flocks of pelicans depart to the Gulf Coast, where they forage in shallow saltwater marshes and estuaries.

Pelican Slide Show Images from 

Wild Bird Center Staff 

All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology: 

American White Pelican  

BirdFellow:

American White Pelican

Youtube Video by statejournalregister: 

American White Pelicans 

Pelican Symbols          

In art and throughout much of history, pelicans have been depicted as feeding their own blood to their young. Thus pelicans are associated with sacrifice and charity.  

The Wild Bird Center and Environment for the Americas will host Walk in the Wild to commemorate International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) on May 18th. Please join us for some or all of the activities! We will have a bird walk, live raptors, education stations, silent auction, and prizes. There will activities for all ages - you can even learn to fish! Come out and join in the fun. Also, please consider donating before or during the event to raise money for habitat restoration in Boulder County. Click Here for more information.

Note: The regular Saturday Morning Bird Walk from the Wild Bird Center will leave as always from the store promptly at 7:30am. We will end up at the Walk in the Wild to continue our birding.    

Bird Photos Bring Joy to All      

We've changed our bird walk email sent out every week to include photographs of birds. These photos are almost always taken on the walk itself which adds a great dimension to our postings. I need help getting more (and sometimes better) images, so if you are coming on the bird walk please bring your camera and send me your images. After the walks please  send the images as soon as possible so I can get them out in the emails. The address for sending images is WBCBoulderCO@aol.com. Please include your name so we can give you proper credit. To see some of the fantastic images from the summer go to our archive or check out our facebook page. Again, thanks to all who have shared their images. I know that many have enjoyed them.

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