American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Aves
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- 10-20 yrs
- Size
- Large
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Colony
- Biome
- Freshwater wetland
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Herd Safety
- Status
- Common
About
The American white pelican is a large aquatic soaring bird from the order Pelecaniformes. It breeds in interior North America, moving south and to the coasts, as far as Costa Rica, in winter. Its wingspan ranges from 6 to 7.5 feet, and it has a wingspan that can extend to 11.5 feet.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA clutch of eggs is incubated in the nest, kept warm by a brooding parent until the chicks pip free.
- 2.hatchlingA naked or downy hatchling is fed in the nest by its parents.
- 3.juvenileA feathered juvenile fledges from the nest and learns to fly and forage.
- 4.adultFully grown with adult plumage.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Pelecanidae
- Genus
- Pelecanus
- Species
- Pelecanus erythrorhynchos