American White Pelican

American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) are large chunky waterbirds with large wings and a massive bill with a pouch for scooping up fish. While adults have a projection or horn on the bill during breeding season, the pelican I was able to watch at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge over eight days in September and October 2024 did not have the horn. This bird was pretty far from his normal range, which includes the upper Midwest portion of the United States and western half of Canada during breeding and migration seasons and the lower shoreline of the United States and Mexico the rest of the year.

*Ameican white pelican, East Pond, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, September 23, 2024*

*This photo reminds me of a Henri Rousseau painting, where a lion is just lurking behind the phragmites.*

*American white pelican with double-crested cormorants, great and snowy egrets and some ducks, September 14, 2024*

*American white pelican with mute swans and cormorants, JBWR, September 17, 2024*

*American white pelican, September 17, 2024*

There are two videos of this bird, a longer and shorter version. Both are set to music by Scott Joplin. Of course, I prefer the longer version because I spent so much time intrigued by this pelican. But the shorter version gives a nice glimpse of the highlights of the time I spent watching this bird.