Pelicans in Orange County

American White Pelicans resting after fishing at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

Mature Brown Pelican in breeding plumage perched on the footbridge at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.


Orange County has two species of Pelicans:  Brown Pelicans which prefer the ocean and saltwater environments, and American White Pelicans which prefer fresh water environments.   They are not hard to tell apart.

During Fall and Winter you will find American White Pelicans in large bodies of water, and sporadically in small, or even tiny neighborhood parks.   As long as there is a body of water with fish, and they can fit in it, American White Pelicans will visit it.   Brown Pelicans with the spectacular dives from high above the water usually need much larger bodies of water.   The Brown Pelican and the American White Pelican both show up in mixed saltwater and freshwater environments like Upper Newport Bay and Bolsa Chica.  But you will also find both in the large ponds at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary which is not far from Upper Newport Bay.   If you go far inland, any pelican you see will most likely be an American White Pelican.  However, both American White Pelicans and Brown Pelicans can also be found at the Salton Sea.  

Physical Appearance

American White Pelicans, Brown Pelicans, Double-Crested Cormorant, and two American Coots.  The gray bird in the water and the brown bird on the far right are both Brown Pelicans  resting at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary.   Pelicans are often found hanging out with cormorants and other birds. 


The first thing you notice in the picture above is how much bigger the American White Pelican is than the Brown Pelicans.  The Brown Pelican is large at 50" long with an 84-inch wingspan.  Yet as big as the Brown Pelican is, the American White Pelican is even bigger at 62" long with a 105" wingspan.  When you see them standing close together, it is plain which is which.

 Immature Brown Pelicans on the left.  Mature Brown Pelican on the right.

While I have seen Brown Pelicans  perch on wooden railings, fences, posts, and even street lights.  I have never seen the huge American White Pelican perch on anything so flimsy.   Mostly their feet are on solid ground when they are not swimming.  And while you will often find a lone Brown Pelican perched or sitting down on the ground near water, you will most often find that American White Pelicans gather in groups on the shore of a lake or on a sand bar in an estuary.   They fish in groups, fly in groups, and hang out together in groups.   American White Pelicans are just more gregarious than Brown Pelicans.

The American White Pelican is all white except for black primaries and wing tips which are mostly seen in flight.   Mostly when they swim, they appear all white.








Habitat

Brown Pelicans favor salt water and estuaries with mixed water. American White Pelicans prefer fresh water or estuaries.



Behaviors


Feeding

American White Pelicans, heads down, scooping up some fish.



The foraging techniques of American White Pelicans and Brown Pelicans are so different that if you only saw them foraging and did not see their plumage, you would know which species you were observing.  The American White Pelican swims on the surface of the water and sticks its head down like a dabbling duck to scoop up fish.   It often forages in groups that can reach over 5o individuals. American White Pelicans fishing together look like synchronized swimmers as they swim, stick their heads in the water and come up all at the same time. It is something to watch.  I have seen non-birders stand mesmerized at the sight of a large synchronized group of American White Pelicans feeding.  I have had amazed park goers ask me, "What are they doing?"   They can put on quite a show.

American White Pelicans  fishing cooperatively.

Brown Pelican about to dive down into the waters of Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve for a catch of fresh fish. You will never see an American White Pelican  fish this way.  

Brown Pelicans fly up and dive into the water scooping up fish as they hit the water.   Sometimes, they do not fly high at all, but at other times they fly high above the water and splash down into the fish.  Although they may fish with other Brown Pelicans, it is every bird for itself.    Their strong power dive stuns the fish they then scoop up.   Their dramatic, aeronautical style of fishing attracts as much attention as the synchronized swimming of the American White Pelicans.

Immature Brown Pelican with a pouch full of fish.  

Two mature Brown Pelicans take off for another round of fishing.

Brown Pelican bomb-dives into the water. 

 

Brown Pelicans can be seen bomb diving the water by the Bolsa Chica footbridge most frequently in Fall and Winter.   Parents and their kids and photographers and the cameras stand on the bridge just watching and snapping pictures as the Brown Pelicans fly up and splash into the water over and over again. 




Flying

 American White Pelicans soar high in the air sometimes, flying long distances to feeding areas.   These American White Pelicans are soaring over San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary--a very common sight.


American White Pelicans usually fly in a "V"" or a "J"  formation.  And they fly in groups--sometimes quite far to obtain food.  They soar high in the air where their white body with black tipped wings are sometimes mistaken by non-birders for gulls.  It isn't uncommon to see American White Pelicans flying overhead in Southern California even in the San Bernardino Mountains.   Because they fly so high overhead, these huge birds can look seem like a much smaller bird flying much lower.  Sort of an optical illusion.  So when you see white birds flying in formation overhead, take another look.  You may be looking at American White Pelicans.   They soar on thermals, and it is not unusual to see them circling and higher  and higher before heading out for their destination.

Mature Brown Pelican flying low over the water at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve moves up slightly to cross the footbridge.

In groups or alone Brown Pelicans can be seen flying low over the ocean waves or over the water in an estuary.   They are often seen flying in lines low over the ocean.  Sometimes you may see them flying in a V formation.   They do not soar at high altitudes.


Migration

The American White Pelican is present in Orange County in very small numbers in scattered locations all year.  They increase in numbers in the Fall and Winter.    Seeing a lone American White Pelican or two  is unusual, but not unheard of at any time of year in Orange County.   During Fall and Winter, the population significantly swells with wintering American White Pelicans.    It is during Fall and Winter that large groups of American White Pelicans are often spotted.  The Brown Pelican population also increases in Orange County during Fall and Winter, but individuals and small groups of Brown Pelicans are present all year and more frequently seen than the American White Pelican.

Brown Pelican

You can find American White Pelicans in any large or small body of fresh water in the Fall and Winter.   Any park with a stocked lake no matter how small can become a fishing hole for the American White Pelican.   So large regional parks like Mile Square Park and small neighborhood parks like Carr Park or the even smaller Greer Park can sporadically host a meal for a group of American White Pelicans.   Other than Fall and Winter, American White Pelicans are hard to find in the OC.
So the next time you see a pelican in Orange County, observe the size, the coloring, the feeding techniques, and the flying style.   You will be able to easily identify the species of pelican you are seeing.  Have fun birding in Orange County, California.




Places to find Brown Pelicans

 Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

 Large ecological reserve on Pacific Coast Highway.

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

Old hunting club belonging to the IRWD and the Sea and Sage Audubon Headquarters.
Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve aka Newport Back Bay

 Estuary in Newport Beach.

Salt water environments and estuaries.   These are coastal birds flying low over the waves.   Drive up and down the coast and you will see them most of the year in varying numbers.  Fall and winter see the numbers swell with migrants.


Places to find American White Pelicans


Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

Large ecological reserve on Pacific Coast Highway.


San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

Old hunting club belonging to the IRWD and the Sea and Sage Audubon Headquarters.  


Huntington Central Park

Large park bisected by  Goldenwest.

Mason Regional Park

Irvine Park with a large lake.    

Carr Park in Huntington Beach

Small neighborhood park with a lake.

Greer Park in Huntington Beach

Neighborhood park that is cut in two pieces by McFadden.   The small , southern section has a lake that is frequented by ducks, geese, egrets, herons, gulls, white-faced ibises, and rarities that show up from time to time.   On occasion, the lake is visited in Fall and Winter by American White Pelicans.

Carbon Canyon Regional Park

Regional park with a large, stocked lake.


Upper Newport Bay Ecological Preserve

Upper Newport Bay Ecological Preserve is an estuary where salt and fresh water mix as the tides flow in and out.

Brown Pelicans--Pelecanus occidentalis

Two Brown Pelicans: On the left, an immature and on the right, a mature. Please note that all pictures on this entire site are copyright Karen McQuade, the OC Birder Girl, unless otherwise noted.

Brown Pelicans are a mix of opposites. Grace in motion. And yet awkward and even funny as they splash into the water, or walk on the dry land. Pelicans are very large birds. They are 51 inches long and have a wingspan of 79 inches or about 6.5 feet. It takes a lot of fish to fuel that kind of bulk, and they are always on the move, looking their next meal.
Mature Pelican in breeding plumage. At Bolsa Chica.


At my old job, we used to just walk around to the back of the building and we were looking out at the docks where the Catalina Express docked. If we walked a little down one way, we would walk up the Los Angeles River and see the Golden Shore Marine Reserve. If we walked the other way, we would see the area where the ocean met the river and it was more ocean than river. It was beautiful in many ways. It was a great place to bird at breaks and lunch. A birder's ideal job location. In fall and winter, the Brown Pelican returned to fish the mouth of the river and to fish the ocean. It is a very large bird. They would fly and plunge in to the water with a big, loud splash! They fish by diving head first into the water. The gulls --especially the Heerman's Gulls--would dog their every move, trying to steal the fish right out of their mouths. They are salt-water birds found at the beach, and estuaries, and tidal marshes like Bolsa Chica. We would often see them perched on light posts.


A pelican with a pouch full of water and edibles at Bolsa Chica.

Brown Pelicans seem to take very little rest once they start fishing, diving repeatedly for fish. They fill their pouch with water and fish or crustaceans. That makes for a lot of weight. Notice that he leaves his bill in the water. The Brown Pelicans let the water drain out their partially open bills and then eat the fish. The crustaceans they work in the tip of their bills until they get the shell, if any off. Then they eat the insides. After that, it is up, up an away into the air to look for more, and then splashing down again to find more food. I mentioned before that gulls try to steal the fish right out of their mouths. One of the things that makes this a bit more easy is the way they catch their fish and crustaceans. They dive in the water, open their bills to get a mouthful of water and fish or crustaceans, and then open it again to drain the water out. See above.

Triple play.

Brown Pelicans can be seen by the ocean--these are bi-coastal birds. Sit on the beach, and you will see Brown Pelicans gliding low over the waves. A beautiful and calming site. They are so graceful as they fly over the ocean. It is such a contrast with the big splash they make as they dive into the water like these three birds doing. Brown Pelicans fish alone or in small groups. West Coast and East Coast Pelicans actually have a slightly appearance. Instead of an olive or reddish pouch like the Western, the eastern Brown Pelican's pouch is brown or grayish. The Eastern Brown Pelican is also smaller than our Western Pelican. (Sibley, David, The Sibley Guide to Birds, page 47.) See a picture below of an east-coast Brown Pelican courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.



Courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service--an east-coast Brown Pelican

An endanged species, Brown Pelicans are very sensitive to the environment. In decades past their numbers were greatly reduced due to the pesticide DDT. Their numbers have bounced back with the banning of DDT. However, there are other dangers for the Pelican and other wildlife. In 2006, my supervisor asked me to go outside and investigate a Pelican sitting in the doorway of an adjacent building. I went outside an saw a very large Pelican just sitting there. It seemed ill. I called to get someone to pick it up. Animal control came and took it to a wildlife rescue center. It turned out to be a common occurrence. Evidently when algae blooms, it causes red tide. This produces domoic acid which can cause seizures and illness in many life forms from humans to Pelicans. Many birds have died from the toxins in red tide. According to an article from ABC Online, it was the toxins from the red tide that were thought responsible for birds--mostly Shearwaters--attacking people in the California Coastal town of Capitola. It was the incident that inspired the story the Birds on which Hitchcock based his movie. This type of aggression rarely happens. Usually stupor, disorientation, and seizures are the result of red-tide domoic acid poisoning.

Immature Brown Pelican at Bolsa Chica

Brown Pelicans frequent the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and nearby Bolsa Chica Beach flying over and diving into the water. You can also see an all-white Pelican--the American White Pelican--swimming and fishing at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, but not the Bolsa Chica Beach. The Brown Pelican is also frequently seen in estuaries, bays, rivers the are near the ocean, and up and down the coast. They are basically salt-water birds. The American White Pelican is basically a fresh-water bird.





Mature Brown Pelican at Bolsa ChicaPelicans are amazing birds and well worth watching and preserving. Next time you are out birding near the ocean, look for this large, beautiful bird. Check out the links below for more information, pictures, and videos about the Brown Pelican.



Links

All About Birds: Brown Pelican


Detailed page about the Brown Pelican.


Animal Diversity Web: Brown Pelicans
Good article with lots of detail.




Smithsonian National Zoological Park Fact Sheet on Brown Pelicans
Good information.



Pelicans in Peril
How algae bloom's red tide affects Brown Pelicans. The main reason is domoic acid. Read the article and see what a problem this natural occurrence is.

Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute: Domoic Acid Information and History
Very good article on the naturally occurring toxin and its effect on wildlife.



US Fish and Wildlife: Article on Brown Pelicans
Short, but good article on Brown Pelicans.

US Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species Listing: Brown Pelican
Information on the endanged status of the Brown Pelican.







Immature resting.


Pictures

Vireo Brown Pelican Pictures

Videos

Internet Bird Collection: Brown Pelican Videos
Great collection of Brown Pelican Videos. Note the difference between west coast and east coast plumage.

From National Geographic: Pelicans and Penguins
Although this is presented dramatically as if the Pelicans are the interlopers, really this is an anchovy feast that many seabirds and others would attend. Any time there is an abundant food source, you will find many animals there to take advantage of it. That's just life.


Two mature Brown Pelicans taking off for another dive.



Don forget to check out my article on the American White Pelican.  And my blog post comparing Brown Pelicans and American White Pelicans:  Pelicans in Orange County.
If you like my photographs and would like to buy posters, mugs, magnets, or clothing with those photographs on it, visit the OC Birder Girl Store at Cafe Press. I am just getting started.










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