FOOD AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR 



The mode of prey capture and the type of 

 food are the same for both subspecies. The birds 

 fly low over the water, spot a potential prey fish, 

 and dive to capture it. The fish is then transferred 

 to the gular pouch. The particular species of 

 fishes mjiking up most of the diet of the eastern 

 subspecies are menhaden {Brevoortia), mullet 

 [Mugil), sardines [Sardinella), and pinfish {Lago- 

 don) (Bent 1922, Schreiber 1979). 



The California subspecies feeds mostly on 

 anchovies and other members of the family En- 

 graulididea; Scombridae; and Pacific sardines 

 (Sardinox sagax) when available. The Pacific 

 sardines and another former food fish, the Pacific 

 mackerel [Scomber japonicus) are now essentially 

 gone from CaUfomia waters, but northern ancho- 

 vies appear to have replaced them, and most 

 biologists beheve that the long-term decline of 

 pelicans on the west coast is unrelated to changes 

 in food supply (Anderson and Anderson 1976). 

 Keith (1978), however, believes that former sar- 

 dine fishermen in the Gulf of California have 

 switched to anchovy fishing to the probable detri- 

 ment of pelican food supply. Bostic and Banks 

 (1966) found stingrays (Dasyatidae) and tongue- 

 fish [Cunoglossidae) in the pouch of a dead peli- 

 can near San Felipe in the Gulf of California. A 

 stingray spine embedded in the bird's throat pro- 

 bably caused its death. 



SHELTER REQUIREMENTS 



None noted. 



NESTING OR BEDDING 



Pelicans prefer to nest on offshore island sites 

 that are protected from flooding, human distur- 

 bance, and terrestrial predators such as raccoons 

 {Procyon lotor) (Blus et al. 1974a, Schreiber per- 

 sonal communication). Although there are dis- 

 tinct similarities, there are also conspicuous dif- 

 ferences in the types of nest sites selected by the 

 two subspecies. 



Eastern subspecies 



Eastern brown pelicans build nests on the 

 ground, on mud lumps, or in trees (Bent 1922). 

 In Florida, they nest primarily in mangrove trees 

 [Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle) 

 from 1 to 10 m above the high-tide mark (Schrei- 

 ber 1979). 



Ground nests vary greatly in size and struc- 

 ture from practically nothing to large, well-built 



nests of sticks, reeds, straw, palmetto leaves, and 

 grasses. Remains of old nests are often used, and 

 fresh material may be stolen from newly con- 

 structed nests when the owner is gone. Nest dia- 

 meter on Pehcan Island, Florida, ranges from 46 

 to 61 cm, and height ranges from 10 to 13 cm. 

 Arboreal nests are more firmly built of similar 

 materials, on substantial stick platforms securely 

 interwoven with the branches of the supporting 

 tree (Bent 1922). 



Pelicans are colonial nesters, and generally 

 select small coastal islands in salt or brackish 

 water and lying landward of barrier islands or 

 reefs where they are protected from the surf and 

 ocean storms (Williams et al. 1976). 



California subspecies 



The California brown pelican prefers to nest 

 on steep, rocky slopes of islands, building its nests 

 of sticks, grasses, and rubbish. In some areas, 

 nests are reused year after year, accumulating 

 filth and reaching heights as great as 1 m. On 12 

 April 1888, A. W. Anthony (m Bent 1922) found 

 nests in groups of 20 to 30 on San Martin Island, 

 located about 0.4 km from the beach and about 

 76 m above the sea. Most of the nests were built 

 on the tops of low bushes, but many were on bare 

 ground or blocks of lava. Sticks, twigs, kelp, sea- 

 grass, and even a few bird bones were used as 

 building material. On 16 April 1939, Bond (1942) 

 found several nests on Anacapa Island in island 

 oak [Quercus tomentella) and toyon [Photinia 

 arbutifolia), at heights 3.2 to 4.8 m above the 

 ground— an unusual nesting situation for the spe- 

 cies. 



Williams (1927) found nests on top of mats of 

 poison oak at Point Lobos. Nests on mangroves 

 over water on the Sinaloa coast are reported in a 

 manuscript of the Denver Wildlife Research Cen- 

 ter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1974). 



RITUAL BEHAVIOR 



S. C. Arthur {in Bent 1922) describes court- 

 ship behavior of a male P. o. occidentalis as a 

 slow circling of the motionless female with pon- 

 derous elephantine tread, while he lifted his 

 wings slightly and tilted his head far back. It is 

 presumed that the courtship behavior of P. o. 

 califomicus is similar. 



OTHER CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL 

 REQUIREMENTS 



None other than noted elsewhere. 



