Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) are the diving pelicans.
Miley and I spent the better part of a day watching them glide above the waves.
Every once in a while, one would lock up in mid-air and then dive down to catch a fish.
They are pretty graceful for pelicans, not at all like those awkward white things that everyone associates with pelicans.
Mary and I especially recall the brown pelicans on the end of the pier at Santa Barbara, California, during a self drive trip one year. These pelicans waited patiently, each one standing right next to his or her personally selected angler of the day.The name of this inter species game from the angler’s point of view was to spend hours catching small fish to be tossed to one’s pelican friend. Wish we could have stayed longer. I read that the brown pelicans were once endangered but now increasing in number? They are lovely to watch. I’d place them equal in our affection to the white pelicans we meet in Queenland, Australia.
They are one of the birds that became nearly extinct due to DDT. They are back to healthy numbers now.
Awkward ? White pelicans?
Don’t think so – check out this video. Does that look awkward to you?
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=493mZC5qv9M
On land they are horribly awkward.
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