PELICANS Family Pelecanidae 



WHITE PELICAN 

 125. Pelecanus erythrorhynchus. 5 feet. 



White with black primaries. Eve white: bill and 

 feet yellow, the former in the breeding season being 

 adorned with a thin upright knob about midway on the 

 top of the upper mandible. The large pouch, with which 

 pelicans are armed, is used as a dip net to secure their 

 food, which consists of small fish. The White Pelican 

 scoops up fish as he swims along the surface of the 

 water; when he has his pouch partially filled, he tilts 

 his head, contracts the pouch, thereby squeezing the wa- 

 ter out of the sides of his mouth, and swallows his fish. 



Nest. Of sticks and weeds on the ground on islands 

 or shores of inland lakes. They breed in colonies, and 

 lay their eggs in June. The two or three eggs are pure 

 white (3.45x2.30). 



Range. Breeds in the interior from Utah and Minn, 

 northward. Winters on the Gulf coast and in Florida; 

 rare on the Atlantic coast. 



