COMICAL IN LANDING . . . MAJESTIC IN FLIGHT,

WHITE PELICANS ARRIVE IN GREAT NUMBERS

 

 

American White Pelicans get a rousing and warm welcome when they land in Grand Harbor every November. They have come some 2,000 miles from western Canada and the upper Midwest states in search of warmth and a dependable food supply.

This season, we have been overwhelmed with more than 500 pelican winter guests. It happens every five or six years – super-size flocks of the huge white birds find their way to our sanctuary. They have flown for weeks before finding our freshwater ponds brimming with food. The 2017-18 flock is among the largest seen since 2000, matched only by a record count in 2011-12. I recall spotting a huge number of pelicans that year on the Aqua Range – and actually giving up after counting 500 in one sighting.

Watching a White Pelican land on water is worth waiting for. Its giant webbed feet extend first and hit the surface like a pair of flat skis, Whooosh! Loud splashes come first, then the “skis” settle into an easy glide for ten feet or so before the bird jerks to an upright and abrupt stop . . . then bobs a few times . . . paddles to join its fellow landing group . . . and slowly assumes a graceful float with the flock. All in 10-15 seconds.

White Pelicans deliver a show when they decide it’s feeding time. Some 10 or more birds will group up, raising their wings to reduce glare on the water surface so they can see into the pond depths. They proceed to “herd” small fish as they paddle in a semi-circle. They scoop their prey with a large bill and expandable pouch – never diving like Brown Pelicans, their cousins. They can be aggressive, sometimes pirating prey from Cormorants; however, that is rare here because there is prey aplenty.

One of our largest North American birds, these pelicans measure about six feet in length and more than nine feet in wingspan. Only the Trumpeter Swan and the California Condor rival their size . . . and they are easy to distinguish from one another. As comical as they are in landing, they become majestic in flight.

 

White Pelicans are found both in the New World and in the eastern hemisphere. The American species compares to the largest, and is the only species to show a “horn” on its big yellow bill when it reaches maturity. The horn is shed after eggs are laid but returns around January as the new breeding season looms. American White Pelicans will produce up to six chicks per season; about half will survive the migration to Florida or nearby southern wintering sites.

Because their nests are rather scant – a few reeds and matted grasses on the bank of a river or lake – the pelicans lose a high number of chicks to flooding and windstorms. During the early 20th century, they also fell victim to DDT and other pesticides that caused weakening of egg shells and lower reproduction rates. Thanks to Rachel Carson and her book, The Silent Spring, and the many naturalists who answered her call to action, this man-made plague ended in the 1970s when legislation outlawed DDT. American White Pelicans are no longer listed as endangered or threatened.

Like many waterfowl, pelicans nest in colonies – sometimes as many as 5,000 nests will be clustered along a waterside. Only during this time can you hear their occasional grunt or croak sounds. During their stay with us, the birds remain silent.

One day in late February or the first days of March, you are likely to hear someone ask, “Have you seen any White Pelicans lately?” And, sure enough, the hundreds who seemed a real part of your life, have left. Next year’s visitors may be fewer in number, but they will be welcomed once again. White Pelicans who survive their first year average about 10 years of life, and more than a few banded birds have lived beyond 25 years.