White Pelicans!

Beach Comber

Mar 24, '10 · 10:19 AM1,618

I finally saw the white pelicans Monday! They were in a raft on the east side of the causeway a little before 9am.

Replies

Beach Lover

Mar 24, '10 · 6:41 PM#2

They are amazing! The first time I saw them in the bay, dumb me thought they were swans .:scratch:Told Dr. Barr, the vet in Freeport, and he got a laugh and told me to see them was good luck.

Beach Fanatic

Mar 24, '10 · 7:12 PM#3

They winter in So Florida, so it must be spring :clap:

- they are heading home. Years ago I was at Myakka Lake near Sarasota. The ranger explained how they fish, much different from brown pelicans. White Pelicans dip their heads under the water to scoop up fish. They will work together in a circle to group up the fish and then will all scoop at the same time. It is an amazing sight. One spring I was lucky enough to watch this in the bay, just off the 331. If I hadn't had it explained to me, I would have had a hard time figuring out what they were doing. It looked like some strange dance - the pelicans drew the circle tighter and tighter and then scooped out the center.

Beach Fanatic

Mar 25, '10 · 6:16 AM#4

They winter in So Florida, so it must be spring - they are heading home. Years ago I was at Myakka Lake near Sarasota. The ranger explained how they fish, much different from brown pelicans. White Pelicans dip their heads under the water to scoop up fish. They will work together in a circle to group up the fish and then will all scoop at the same time. It is an amazing sight. One spring I was lucky enough to watch this in the bay, just off the 331. If I hadn't had it explained to me, I would have had a hard time figuring out what they were doing. It looked like some strange dance - the pelicans drew the circle tighter and tighter and then scooped out the center.

Where is 'home' for these Pelicans??

Beach Fanatic

Mar 25, '10 · 8:10 AM#5

Range maps show them pretty much all over North America from the Mississippi valley westward. They breed in the far north, up around central Canada and the northern Miss. valley. In the winter they migrate to the west coast or the Gulf coast. I was surprised when I learned this - seems like a pelican ought to be a sea bird, but they like inland lakes and marshes.