In Nevada, you can find two distinct varieties of Pelicans, both belonging to the same species. These are the American White Pelican and the Brown Pelican. The American White Pelicans can be observed throughout the year, while the sighting of Brown Pelicans is infrequent and uncommon in Nevada.
Pelicans, renowned for their immense bills, throat pouches, and feet, are among the largest and most recognizable avian creatures worldwide. Despite their considerable size, they possess a lightweight constitution due to air pockets present in their skeleton and skin, facilitating buoyancy. Furthermore, their elongated wings enable them to gracefully soar through the skies.
On a global scale, there exist eight distinct species of pelicans, two of which inhabit North America—the American White Pelican and the Brown Pelican.
During the breeding season, pelicans undergo fascinating physical transformations. Their facial skin, throats, and bills assume vibrant hues, while some develop additional appendages on their bills.
Pelicans exhibit a colonial breeding behavior, forming communities comprising up to 50,000 individuals. Depending on the species, they may opt for either ground or tree nesting. After approximately 25 days in the nest, the fledglings congregate in “creches” alongside as many as 100 other young birds. Astonishingly, the parents possess the remarkable ability to distinguish their own offspring, selectively providing nourishment exclusively to their own chicks.
Although pelicans are known to prey upon various animals, they do not fall into the category of birds of prey, which includes raptors. Their primary diet consists of fish, yet they also consume crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, and insects.
To capture fish, pelicans employ their expansive throat pouches, which enable them to ensnare their quarry before draining the water and consuming the catch. Young pelicans even extract sustenance directly from their parents’ pouches.
To aid in the identification of pelican species sighted in Nevada, this guide utilizes information sourced from avibase and data contributed by bird watchers on ebird, offering authentic details regarding the periods when these birds are commonly observed.
Two Varieties of Pelicans in Nevada:
American White Pelican
The American White Pelican is a permanent resident of Nevada, with its population surging during migration in April and from mid-July to October. Approximately 3% of summer and winter checklists and up to 9% of migration checklists submitted by bird watchers account for sightings of these majestic birds within the state.
The American White Pelican is a magnificent avian creature renowned for its impressive wingspan, ranking second among North American bird species in terms of average wingspan.
Adult American White Pelicans in their non-breeding plumage boast a pristine white appearance, except for the black flight feathers visible during flight or when their wings are spread. They possess bluish-gray eyes and yellow facial skin encircling their eyes. Pale orange hues adorn their bills, pouches, and feet. Juveniles exhibit light gray feathers with darker brown patches on their napes.
During the breeding season, adult American White Pelicans undergo a striking transformation in coloration. They develop a yellow protuberance on their upper bills, resembling a horn. Their bodies retain their snowy white hue, but their eyes, bills, legs, and feet adopt a more vivid shade of orange.
American White Pelicans experience several molting stages, referred to as “eclipse.” In the spring, a visible yellowish patch emerges on their chests. Throughout the summer, their heads acquire blackish feathers.
- Scientific Name: Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
- Length: 60 – 63 inches (152 – 160 cm)
- Weight: 246.4 ounces (6983 g)
- Wingspan: 96 – 110 inches (244 – 279 cm)
American White Pelicans breed within secluded inland lakes across North America before migrating to the southern Pacific Coast of the United States, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Central America during the winter. They can be commonly spotted during migration across various states in western and central regions of the US.
These magnificent birds favor shallow freshwater lakes, wetlands, and the peripheries of lakes and rivers as their habitats. During winter, they can be found in coastal bays, inlets, and estuaries, where they engage in foraging activities in shallow waters and rest upon sandbars.
American White Pelicans primarily feed on fish, utilizing their massive bills to skim the water’s surface and secure their prey. They also engage in cooperative foraging, teaming up with other birds to employ strategic maneuvers, effectively herding fish toward the shore, where they can be effortlessly scooped up.
Additionally, American White Pelicans display opportunistic feeding behavior, traveling considerable distances in search of more abundant feeding grounds. They have been observed consuming crustaceans like crabs, as well as amphibians, reptiles, and the young of other birds. Interestingly, they are notorious for snatching fish directly from the water’s surface, pilfering meals from fellow avian species.
The vocalizations of American White Pelicans are typically limited to infrequent grunts, and they generally remain silent. However, their young offspring can be quite vocal within large colonies, emitting cries to express their hunger.
American White Pelicans construct simple, shallow nests on the ground. They gather twigs, sticks, reeds, and assorted materials, placing them atop the soil to provide protection for their eggs.
The female pelican lays one to two eggs, which are diligently incubated by both parents for a period of up to thirty-six days. Regrettably, due to the occurrence of siblicide (when one sibling eliminates another), only one chick typically survives in each nest.
Fun Fact: The elongated bill of the American White Pelican possesses an astonishing capacity to hold three gallons of water. This remarkable adaptation allows the bird to tilt its bill downward, facilitating the draining of water, and enabling the consumption of fish residing within its throat sac.
Brown Pelican
The Brown Pelican is considered a rare or accidental species in Nevada, with occasional sightings primarily recorded in the southern regions of the state. The most recent observations occurred around Las Vegas in 2021.
Adult Brown Pelicans in their non-breeding plumage exhibit white heads and necks, accompanied by pale yellow foreheads. Their long bills possess a combination of yellow and orange hues. Their bodies showcase grayish-brown tones, while their legs are short and black, complemented by webbed feet. Juveniles feature brown heads, necks, backs, and wings, with bluish-gray bills, and their underparts exhibit a light brown coloration.
The Brown Pelican consists of five subspecies, two of which breed within the United States: P.o.californicus along the Pacific Coast and P.o.carolinensis along the Atlantic Coast.
The disparities between Pacific and Atlantic Brown Pelicans become more pronounced during the breeding season. Both species present white heads with more vivid yellow foreheads. However, their napes diverge in color, transitioning from white to dark brown. Atlantic Brown Pelicans exhibit olive-brown throat pouches, while their Pacific counterparts possess red skin within their throat pouches.
- Scientific Name: Pelecanus occidentalis
- Length: 48 – 50 inches (122 – 127 cm)
- Weight: 131.2 ounces (3718 g)
- Wingspan: 78 – 84 inches (198 – 213 cm)
Brown Pelicans eitherbreed, migrate, or reside year-round along the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts of North America, extending down to northern South America.
These remarkable birds frequent environments characterized by shallow waters. They establish permanent dwellings within estuaries and coastal marine habitats, often perching on mangrove islets, sandbars, breakwaters, and offshore rocks when seeking respite.
The Brown Pelican boasts a unique foraging ability that sets it apart. It possesses the capability to plunge into the depths of the ocean to capture prey using its throat pouch. Upon resurfacing, the pelican expels water from its pouch, facilitating the immediate ingestion of its catch.
Their diet predominantly comprises fish such as sardines and herring. When not engaged in diving, they leisurely swim and seize prey directly with their bills. Additionally, they exhibit a varied palate, including crustaceans like prawns, amphibians, eggs, and the young of other bird species.
Adult Brown Pelicans are generally silent, emitting occasional grunts. However, juvenile pelicans vocalize more frequently, employing squawks as a means of beseeching food from their parents.
Brown Pelicans predominantly construct their nests on the ground, favoring islands, mangroves, and cliffs for concealment and protection. Females utilize reeds, leaves, pebbles, sticks, and soil to create their nests. Clutches typically consist of two to four eggs, jointly incubated by both parents for approximately a month.
Fun Fact: Brown Pelicans employ their webbed feet to cover and incubate their eggs. However, this behavior proved detrimental to their survival in the past when the pesticide DDT caused the thinning of eggshells, leading to breakages under the weight of their parents’ feet. Numerous conservation efforts were required to revive the population of Brown Pelicans.