American White Pelican

Population Status
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American White Pelican

Pelecanus erythrorynchos

 

Diet

Eats fish, crayfish, tadpoles, and salamanders.

Habitat

Lives in shallow wetlands, estuaries, and coastal bays.

Nesting

Nest is a depression in sand or gravel. Lays 2-3 eggs, and incubation is 28-30 days. Young leave the nest 3-4 weeks after hatching, and spend the following month in a group called a creche, molting into juvenile plumage and eventually learning to fly.

Did you know?

Approximately 18,000 pelicans breed at Great Salt Lake each year, making it one of the largest breeding areas for these pelicans.

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