Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Pelecaniformes
Family	Pelecanidae
Genus	Pelecanus (1)

Top facts

• Unlike other pelicans, brown pelicans hunt by diving into water with wings partly folded in order to catch prey.
• During the breeding season, the female brown pelican lays 2 to 3 eggs.
• Usually nesting on the ground, the brown pelican will also sometimes nest in trees or on cliffs.
• A colonial species, brown pelicans live in large flocks throughout the year.

Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Information on the brown pelican is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly.

For more information on this and other bird species please see:

• BirdLife International:
  http://www.birdlife.org

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

1. IUCN Red List (October, 2009)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org