Brown pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

Brown pelicans were one of the first bird species to spark today’s modern conservation movement. Hoping to save the birds from market hunters and possible extinction, President Theodore Roosevelt set aside in 1903 an island near Florida as a sanctuary for the bird’s protection. It was one of the first of many refuges Roosevelt dedicated to preserve wildlife.

Recently, a single brown pelican at Kingman State Fishing Lake caused a stir in the Kansas birding community since the species is almost entirely confined to America’s coastlines. No doubt the lake’s fish population is paying the price for the bird’s presence.

Like white pelicans, which are fairly common in Kansas, brown pelicans are some of Mother Nature’s best anglers. Biologists have documented the birds hitting the water’s surface from high above, and going to depths of more than 50 feet to catch fish in their large, net-like bill. Whether a catch is made or not, a network of air sacs running through the bird’s skeleton helps life the bird back to the surface.

Only juvenile brown pelicans are completely brown. Adult birds have white on their heads.

This story was originally published June 10, 2016 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Brown pelican."