American White Pelican
Weighing up to 30 lbs and sporting a 7-foot wing span, the American white pelican has earned its bragging rights as Utah’s largest native bird. It is easily identified by its white plumage, bright orange feet and orange bill that includes a huge, net-shaped pouch. These large birds live around freshwater wetlands and lakes.
Unlike their close cousin the brown pelican, American white pelicans do not dive beneath the water for their prey, but instead hunt along the surface in groups, herding and corralling fish toward shore into an ever-tightening half-circle. The pelicans then dip forward in simultaneous motion to scoop prey into their expanded pouches.
You can connect with the American white pelican at the daily feedings of Tracy Aviary’s pelican flock. Or if you prefer a wilder experience, visit Great Salt Lake from late spring to early fall. One of the largest breeding populations of American white pelicans in the world gathers on the lake’s protected Gunnison Island.
