Rotate: left click on mouse
Zoom: right click on mouse (PC) or command and click (Mac)
Move: left and right click simultaneously (PC) or shift and click (Mac)
Species Description
The American White Pelican is 4-5 feet in length and has a very large pouched bill which is over a foot long. They have one of the largest wingspans which can be up to 10 feet across. They migrate to Canada and northwestern California in the summer to breed in large colonies of up to 10,000 individuals. During the breeding season the feathers on the underside of the wings will turn black and a horn will grow on the bill. After the breeding season is over the horn will fall off and the black feathers are shed. They fly south to spend the winter from Panama to the southern coast of the United States. They will sometimes cooperatively hunt and unlike other Pelicans swim to catch their food rather than dive. American White Pelicans are very long lived with an average age of 16 years.
