American White Pelican

Taxobox
name = American White Pelican
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = Adult
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Pelecaniformes
familia = Pelecanidae
genus = "Pelecanus"
species = "P. erythrorhynchos"
binomial = "Pelecanus erythrorhynchos"
binomial_authority = Gmelin, 1789

The American White Pelican ("Pelecanus erythrorhynchos") is a very large (50"–70") white bird with black wing tips and a long, wide orange bill. It has a wing span of up to 110 inches and typically weigh about 7 kg (15.5 lb). It's binomial name combines "Pelecanus", the Latin for pelican, with "erythrorhynchos", derived from the Greek words "erythros" meaning "red", and "rhynchos" meaning "beak".

Habits

Unlike the Brown Pelican, the American White Pelican does not dive for its food. Instead it feeds while swimming. [ [http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i1250id.html American White Pelican ] ] Each bird eats more than 4 pounds of fish a day, mostly carp, chubs, shiners, yellow perch, catfish, and jackfish.

Range

White Pelicans nest in colonies of several hundred pairs on islands in remote brackish and freshwater lakes of inland North America. The most northerly nesting colony can be found on islands in the rapids of the Slave River between Fort Fitzgerald, Alberta and Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. About 10-20% of the population uses Gunnison Island in the Great Basin's Great Salt Lake as a nesting ground. The female lays 2 or 3 eggs in a shallow depression on the ground. Both parents incubate.

They winter in central California and along the Pacific coast of Guatemala; also along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, its bays and estuaries and along the Mississippi river at least as far north as St. Louis.

Management concerns

This species is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. It has the California Department of Fish and Game protective status California Species of Special Concern (CSC).

Habitat loss is the largest known cause of nesting failure, with flooding and drought being recurrent problems. Predation by coyotes, ravens and gulls is common. Human-related losses include entanglement in fishing gear, boating disturbance and poaching as well as additional habitat degradation. [citation | last = Blood| first = Donald A.| authorlink = | coauthors = Michael Hames, Arifin Graham, Richard Pawlas, Laura Friis | title = American White Pelican| work = Wildlife in British Columbia at Risk| publisher = Providence of British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks| date = October 1993| url = http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/pelican.pdf| format = PDF| doi = | isbn = 0-7726-7466-3| accessdate = 2008-02-20]

ee also

* Bird colony
* Pelican

Notes

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

External links

* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=219 American White Pelican videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
* [http://www.nature.org/animals/birds/animals/pelican.html The Nature Conservancy works to protect habitat for the American white pelican and other species around the world]
* [http://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/american_white_pelican_info.htm South Dakota Birds - American White Pelican Information and Photos]
* [http://www.flickr.com/groups/birdguide/pool/tags/Pelecanus%20erythrorhynchos Pictures from 'Field Guide' page on Flickr]
* [http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/1500600.htm Stamps] (for British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cuba, Turks and Caicos) - with RangeMap
* [http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=American+White+Pelican&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 American White Pelican photo gallery] VIREO