Recently, the White Pelican was removed from Alberta’s Endangered Species list. Though at one time it had a broad territory across North America, now it is only found in the area of the Slave River in Canada’s Northwest Territories, south to Colorado and from the Rocky Mountains to Lake Superior. The population is sparse in the province of Alberta. At one time there were over twenty nesting sites here. Today, that number has been more than cut in half.
The White Pelican inhabits areas around freshwater lakes. It is one of the largest birds in the world. It weighs between 12 and 15 pounds and has a wingspan of up to 10 feet.
Adult pelicans are primarily white with black-tipped wings, though they may have yellow-tinged feathers on their backs and breast. Under the long flat bill is a yellow-orange pouch that is used when feeding. A pale yellow crest appears on the back of the head when the pelican is breeding. Young pelicans look much like the adults but have a gray patch on the neck and the back of the head. Their eyes are usually brown while the eyes of adult pelicans are orange-yellow.
Many times White Pelicans are mistaken for whooping cranes or snow geese. These birds fly with outstretched necks while the pelicans double their neck into their body when in flight. The pelican’s bright orange feet and yellow bill distinguishes it from other birds.
Pelicans fly in a V formation. They are clumsy on land but graceful in flight. They often soar on warm wind currents where they rise to great heights.
White Pelicans feed at the mouths of rivers and creeks in spring where the water is shallow. When the ice melts, more feeding areas open. They feed mainly on fish. Northern pike, whitefish, perch, salamanders and frogs, along with a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates. These are the mainstays of their diet. An adult pelican eats up to 5 pounds of food per day.
White Pelicans scoop fish out of the shallow water, strain excess water from their pouches, tip their head back and swallow. When food is scarce, they form a circle and herd their prey to shore where they scoop it up. Young pelicans eat regurgitated food. When they are hungry, they make loud croaks and flap their wings. As they grow, they will often reach into a parent’s pouch for food.
The White Pelican arrives in Alberta in late April. They are social birds and build their nests in colonies. They return to the same nesting site for years. Their favorite nesting place is a small island in a lake that is undisturbed by humans and other wildlife, though they will nest with gulls.
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