Your Florida Backyard NSiS Home Page Your Florida Backyard Pelicans
Photographs on this page courtesy of SFWMD
 
 
The winter resident population of the American White Pelican varies from year to year. It is found along the coast and sometimes at large inland lakes. Flocks forage by swimming together and herding fish.
 
brown pelican The Brown Pelican is most frequently seen along the coasts of the peninsula. It is also a resident of the panhandle, but less common during the winter. They are increasingly seen at large inland lakes.
 
It forages by soaring over the water and diving. It also waits at fishing piers and boat docks for handouts.
 
Brown Pelicans nest in colonies, usually on mangrove islands although breeding has been reported at Lake Okeechobee.
 
Although the Brown Pelican has made significant strides from population lows in the 1960's and 1970's when some states' populations were virtually wiped out by pesticide contamination, it remains a species of special concern. In addition to habitat loss, fishing hooks and line cause many injuries and fatalities.

 
name area season diet/native food plants
American White PelicanN
CS
SpFW
SpSuFW
fish*
Brown PelicanNCSSpSuFW-Bfish*
N=north  C=central  S=south
Sp=spring  Su=summer  F=fall  W=winter
B=breeds in Florida during season(s) underlined  M=Migrant

 
 
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