American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is a common pelican found in 20 countries, weighing about 5.6 kg. The American white pelican is a large aquatic soaring bird from the order Pelecaniformes.
About the American White Pelican
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.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The American white pelican rivals the trumpeter swan, with a similar overall length, as one of the longest birds native to North America. Both very large and plump, it has an overall length of about 50–70 in (130–180 cm), courtesy of the huge beak which measures 11.3–15.2 in (290–390 mm) in males and 10.3–14.2 in (260–360 mm) in females. It has a wingspan of about 95–120 in (240–300 cm). The species also has the second-largest average wingspan of any North American bird, after the California condor. This large wingspan allows the bird to use soaring flight for migration easily.
What the American White Pelican sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Colombia.
When to see it
The American White Pelican can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the American White Pelican on live cams
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an American White Pelican?
- The American white pelican rivals the trumpeter swan, with a similar overall length, as one of the longest birds native to North America. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an American White Pelican?
- The American White Pelican is a huge sized bird weighing about 5.6 kg.
- Where can you see an American White Pelican?
- The American White Pelican occurs in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba and Honduras.
- What does an American White Pelican sound like?
- You can listen to 2 field recordings of the American White Pelican on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an American White Pelican?
- The American White Pelican is most easily confused with the Brown Pelican, the Australian Pelican and the Great White Pelican.
- Is the American White Pelican endangered?
- The American White Pelican is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the American White Pelican for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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