In Monterey Bay

Pacific Coast brown pelicans nest in colonies ranging from Baja California to California’s Channel Islands, mainly during the winter and spring months. After the breeding season, many of these birds travel northward. Although a small number can be seen in Monterey Bay throughout the year, most arrive during summer and stay until the beginning of fall.

Brown pelicans are frequently seen gliding just above the ocean near the shoreline. They also commonly rest on breakwaters, jetties, dock structures, and wharf pilings. From a closer distance, their yellow eyes, dark legs, and black webbed feet can often be clearly observed.

By late autumn, brown pelicans begin developing their breeding colors. During this period, the throat pouch becomes a striking bright red. This seasonal color change occurs in both male and female birds.

Conservation

Historically, brown pelicans were seriously affected by the widespread use of the pesticide DDT. Exposure to this chemical interfered with their calcium metabolism, producing eggshells that were unusually thin and easily broken.

The population declined so severely that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially classified the brown pelican as an endangered species in 1970. Two years later, in 1972, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prohibited the use of DDT in the United States.

These protective actions contributed to a remarkable recovery. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List, brown pelican populations in some regions have grown by an estimated 712 percent over the last 40 years.

Population recovery has been considerably stronger along the Atlantic Coast than along the Pacific Coast. Even so, the brown pelican has now been removed from protection under the Endangered Species Act across its entire range. The IUCN currently classifies the species as “Least Concern.”

Despite this progress, brown pelicans continue to face threats caused by human activity. The destruction or disturbance of nesting and resting locations can negatively affect the birds. Discarded fishing hooks and lines also create serious risks because pelicans often spend time close to the shoreline and may become caught or injured.

People who fish should always remove their hooks and fishing line rather than leaving them behind. Any abandoned fishing line found on beaches, docks, or wharves should also be collected and properly discarded.

 

Cool Facts

• Brown pelicans reproduce in colonies on California’s Channel Islands. During nest building, the male collects materials while the female arranges them. The nest often begins as a shallow depression or raised mound on the ground and is later lined with materials such as vegetation, feathers, or soil.

• Pelicans are often seen flying in straight formations very close to the ocean surface. Flying this way allows them to benefit from what pilots call the “ground effect.” Compressed air beneath the wings creates additional lift, allowing the birds to fly with less effort.

• Marine birds are able to drink salt water because they possess specialized glands that remove excess salt from their bodies. These salt-removing glands are located above the eyes and along the outside of the skull. Different bird species release the salty fluid in different ways. In brown pelicans, the liquid travels along grooves on the outside of the bill before dripping from the tip.

• A pelican’s bill pouch is capable of holding nearly three times as much as its stomach, with a capacity approaching three gallons of fish and water. After making a successful dive, the bird drains excess water from the pouch before swallowing its catch whole. Fish are swallowed headfirst, and the pelican may turn them around first when necessary. A large hook at the end of the bill also helps the bird keep hold of struggling fish.

• Brown pelicans and their close relatives, Peruvian pelicans, are the only pelican species that regularly catch prey by plunge diving from the air into the water. Other pelican species normally feed while floating on the water’s surface and grabbing prey from there. Brown and Peruvian pelicans can also occasionally use this surface-feeding method.