| Birds |
California Brown Pelican
Pelicanus occidentalis californicus
| Conservation Status: Endangered - Protected
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#1
- Courtesy of NOAA
- immature Brown Pelican
Of the seven or eight species of Pelicans found worldwide, two are native to North America—the marine Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, and the fresh water White Pelican, (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos). The California Brown Pelican, a subspecies of P. occidentalis, is the smallest member of the pelican family. It is easily recognizable because of its famous pouched bill that inspired the limerick: that begins: “A wonderful bird is the pelican. His bill will hold more than his belican”. The limerick is true. A pelican’s pouch will hold 11 l (3 gal) of water and his stomach only 3.8 l (1 gal). Highly social and gregarious, pelicans rest, roost, and nest in colonies.
Facts and Features
- Geographic Distribution
Non-breeding: Gulf of California, Mexico, north to Washington and southern British Columbia, Canada. Breeding: islands in the Gulf of California, outer coast of Baja California, and north on California’s Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands
- Amazing Facts
In the late 1900’s and the early 2000’s Pelicans were hunted extensively for their feathers that were used to trim women’s clothing, especially their hats. In 1903 in an effort to protect the birds by reducing the threat of plumage hunters to their survival, President Theodore Roosevelt, who had strong conservation ethics, designated Florida’s Pelican Island the United States first bird reservation. This was the first time the federal government had set aside land for the sake of wildlife and Pelican Island was the forerunner of what would become the United States’ national wildlife refuge system.
- At the Aquarium
The California Brown Pelican is illustrated on The Wave's, a mosaic tile mural, Rios de la Vida (Rivers of Life) . The fountain, mural, and accompanying graphics illustrate the story of our Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers. Although not on exhibit in the Aquarium, this bird is included in our website animal database to expand on the information touched on in The Wave fountain exhibit.