Thursday, January 21, 2021

BROWN PELICAN PHOTOS FROM MY SISTER-IN-LAW

 A study in Brown Pelicans for you today.  I love watching them skim along the shore, and I thought Gregg's sister's photographs were fabulous.










Here are some facts about them.

Brown pelicans are the only species to dive into the water from 9 m (30 ft) above to capture prey. After catching the prey and a lot of water, they tip their bill downward to drain the water before swallowing the fish.

While brown pelicans are known for diving, they will never be deep divers due to the extensive system of subcutaneous air-sacs that give them their buoyancy in the water.

The pelican's pouch (gular pouch) is used as a dip net to catch fish, which are soon swallowed into the stomach (the center of gravity) so that they can maintain their balance while flying.

They have an extendable sac of skin at the base of their throat, which is capable of holding up to 11 liters (3 gallons) of water, several times more than their belly.

Most fossil species of pelican are placed in the same genus as the modern pelican due to extreme anatomical similarities. This suggests that the present form of pelican has changed very little over the past 30 to 40 million years.

The brown pelican, the smallest of the Pelecanidae family, can fly up to 48 kph (30 mph).

Its gular pouch may be used to disperse heat as well as to collect fish and rainwater.

Brown pelicans are best adapted to living alongside humans. They are frequently seen at fishing ports up and down the coast, opportunistically feeding on fish scraps discarded by fisherman.


I bring you these photos with thanks again to my sister-in-law.  Thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of your week.




48 comments:

  1. I think pelicans show their dinosaur ancestry very clearly - and I adore them. Great photos.

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    1. I think so too EC. I have been looking at videos and photographs of the Shoebill Stork. That also is an amazing bird, definitely can see the dinosaur in that one.

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  2. These are lovely pictures, and good facts. I have NEVER seen a Pelican in real life.

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    1. Thank you Ginny, I hope you get to see pelican one day. They are such a fun bird to watch.

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  3. Hello Denise,
    Great post and info on the Brown Pelicans. I love all the photos, great captures!
    Take care, have a happy day!

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    1. Thank you Eileen. So glad you enjoyed my sister-in-law's photos. You take care and have a happy day also :)

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  4. Amazing birds. How wonderful to see them flying across the water. Thank you for the information about them and the photos from your SiL.

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    1. Thank you Linda, and you are very welcome. So glad you enjoyed them.

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  5. Extremely interesting text about a wonderful bird. Great photos.

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  6. They are such cool birds and your sister in law sure got some excellent shots! Thanks for sharing them with us :)

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    1. You are very welcome Martha, she did see some very cool birds that day and took great photos :)

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  7. Pelicans are my most favorite of all birds and these photos are all amazing and I especially love the last two! So glad you shared them and that she sent them to you to share with us. We love to watch Pelicans while we sit on the beach. No matter what they do we like to watch them

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    1. That's great Sandra :) I remember on my trips to Florida how much I enjoyed seeing the pelicans. They were everywhere! Such fun!

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  8. Pelicans are vey majestic fliers...beautiful to watch.

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  9. Interesting information but none of the photos will show for me - all blank!! :-(
    Keep safe Diane

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    1. So sorry Diane, I am not sure why that would be. Hope you have been able to open them up by now. You stay safe too :)

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  10. Interesting information but none of the photos will show for me - all blank!! :-(
    Keep safe Diane

    Aha if I click on the blank photo I can view them in a separate screen - very odd. Great photos,

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    1. That is odd but glad you could at least see them :)

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  11. Hi Denise,
    I have spent many happy hours watching both Grey and Pink - backed Pelican in Africa, wonderful to watch in flight skimming the waves. Super series of images from your sister in law and some extremely interesting facts.
    Thanks and you both stay safe.
    John

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    1. Hi John, how wonderful! I do hope one day you will share your African photos. Glad you enjoyed my s-in-l's photos :) You are very welcome and you both stay safe too :)

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  12. Thanks to Gregg's sister for the borrow of these images. I have only seen a few pelkiocans and they really are quite interesting and unusual birds.

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  13. I love to see pelicans...which I seldom do. But just find them fascinating.

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    1. The same here, the only time I do see them is when on a road trip :)

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  14. Many thanks for these lovely photographs :)

    All the best Jan

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  15. Interesting information and gorgeous photos!

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  16. I, too, enjoy watching the pelican fly low over the ocean waters.

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  17. What great photos and facts about the brown pelican, Denise! I've always thought them to be so graceful as they glide over the waves. So interesting about their center of gravity!

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  18. those photos are spectacular! I love spotting and capturing pelicans with my camera.

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    1. Me too and hope it won't be long before I can do just that :)

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  19. Lovely photos of the pelicans, they are a beautiful bird, so large yet so graceful.
    Good to read about them.

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  20. Wow! Those close up shots are really, really impressive! Thank you for sharing them.

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    1. You are very welcome Kay :) I am happy you enjoyed them.

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  21. Great photos and interesting Information

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  22. Thanks for this pelican parade! they are amazing birds and I hope to see them aagain and admire their antics - if ever COVID permits us to travel again. It has been a long haul and it is far from over.

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    1. You are very welcome David, so glad you enjoyed. They are indeed amazing birds. Hope you are able to travel again soon :) Yes we still have a long road.

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