'A wonderful bird is the pelican ...'

Let’s be honest, pelicans are strange looking creatures. They almost appear capable of turning inside out and swallowing themselves whole. I can still hear my grandmother reciting the old rhyme today, “A wonderful bird is the pelican. His bill can hold more than his belican…”

After discussing egrets and herons in the last two articles, the namesake of the order Pelecaniforms seems to fall a little short in its physical beauty. While it may not be stunning like the great blue heron or graceful like a snowy egret, the pelican might actually be more fascinating than either of its “prettier” cousins.

Here in the Lowcountry, the eastern brown pelican, or Pelecanus occidentalis, is our only common resident. The American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, has made increasingly frequent appearances here in recent decades, though. The white pelicans are among the largest North American birds and have wing spans of up to nine feet and weigh up to 19 pounds. Their large size, white coloration and black feathers on the outer portion of their wings make them easy to identify. White pelicans typically breed in the interior areas of North America and winter on the Gulf of Mexico coastline or farther south and west. These birds scoop their food up while swimming or wading and sometimes work as teams to herd fish. This is quite different from the brown pelican’s preference to dive and catch its prey from the air.

Whether walking by Smythe Lake or standing on the dock near the Daniel Island Real Estate Sales Center, it is likely that there is a brown pelican in view. These birds are both common and conspicuous throughout our area. While only a little over half the size of a white pelican, the brown pelican is still quite a large bird. Its wingspan can be up to six feet and the birds can weigh over 10 pounds. The habit of plunging from above onto fish in our lakes, ponds, rivers and ocean only make pelicans that much easier to spot. That fabled beak can hold up to three gallons of water, as well as whatever prey is captured.

Brown pelicans typically range from the mid-Atlantic states and Gulf of Mexico to the California Pacific coast. They have been found as far north as Nova Scotia and British Columbia on occasion. They also live a very long time. Banding research has documented birds over 30 years old.

One interesting quirk is that the bird almost always rotates left as it dives for its prey. This is presumed to be a protective measure, because the trachea and esophagus are offset to the right side of the bird’s neck. Additionally, there are air sacs in the front of the breast that help absorb the shock when hitting the water.

Pelicans may nest in trees or on the ground. This is a cooperative effort with the male gathering materials and the female constructing the nest. The birds will have one brood per year consisting of two to four eggs. Pelicans incubate their eggs in a most peculiar way. Rather than sitting on the eggs, the pelican actually stands on them with her large webbed feet.

When DDT and other pesticides became widely used, one result was thinner egg shells. This was particularly harmful to the pelicans. They would crush their own eggs. Brown pelicans nearly disappeared in North America during the 1960s and were placed on the endangered species list in 1970. With the banning of DDT in 1972, population trends reversed quickly. The eastern brown pelican was delisted in 1985 and enjoys stable population levels today. It is once again a common site to see their lined formations flying down the beach on the Isle of Palms or Sullivan’s Island or over the Charleston Harbor. And closer to home, a walk to one of our larger lakes or along the riverfront trails is almost always good for a glimpse or two of this “wonderful bird,” the pelican.