White Pelicans

The White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is a large bird some four to 6 feet tall with a wing span up to nine feet.

Although predominately white in color, their wing tips are black and their bill is orange.

These large birds are graceful in flight but, unlike the Brown Pelican, do not dive for food. Instead of diving, White Pelicans work together to gather fish while swimming. Watching a flock of White Pelicans swimming, it is easy to imagine that they are herding fish! Each bird is said to need about four pounds of fish daily.

White Pelicans are sometimes seen during the late fall in the lakes near LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Apparently the LSU lakes are a convenient stop-over on the migratory path from Canada to South America.

We’ve taken many, many photos of White Pelicans during their LSU stop-over. It would seem relatively easy to get some great images but we are usually disappointed.

White Pelicans are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1972.