Photo: Frank Schulenburg / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a member of the Pelecanidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 3.4 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Pelecaniformes
- Family Pelecanidae Pelicans
- Genus Pelecanus
- Species occidentalis
Where it lives
Coastal southern California to Ecuador including Galápagos (eastern Pacific Ocean); Maryland through Caribbean (western North Atlantic Ocean)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 3.4 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Pelecanidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown Pelican hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Brown Pelican is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) belongs to the Pelecanidae family of the order Pelecaniformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA coastal s California to Ecuador including Galápagos (e Pacific Ocean); Maryland through Caribbean (w North Atlantic Ocean).
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 3.4 kg, with a wing length of about 49.5 cm and a tail of around 12.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown Pelican?
The Brown Pelican is a very large bird that weighs around 3.4 kg.
Where does the Brown Pelican live?
The Brown Pelican is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA coastal s California to Ecuador including Galápagos (e Pacific Ocean); Maryland through Caribbean (w North Atlantic Ocean), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Brown Pelican belong to?
The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) belongs to the Pelecanidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Brown Pelican eat?
The Brown Pelican hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Brown Pelican migrate?
The Brown Pelican is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown Pelican endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Brown Pelican make?
1 real field recording of the Brown Pelican — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown Pelican's range?
The Brown Pelican has a mapped global range of about 1.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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