(October 2023)
Tim Spitzack
Editor
Come October, the skies will be thick with migrating birds and waterfowl winging their way south along the Mississippi River Flyway, which follows the meandering course of the 2,340-mile river that bears its name. More than 325 species use the flyway on their annual roundtrip from breeding grounds in Canada and the northern United States to wintering sites near the Gulf of Mexico and points further south. While Canada geese are the most visible and vociferous during the fall migration, it’s the American white pelican that captures my attention this time of year.
I recall paddling the river one recent autumn and seeing nearly a hundred of them in one location, including a pair just yards from the bow of my kayak. It was a cool crisp morning and wisps of fog hovered over the surface of the river. The sun was still low in the sky and duck hunters hunkered down in their blinds in grassy shallows, watching and waiting. After rounding an island and heading into the river’s backwaters, I spotted a pair of snow-white pelicans in my line of vision. As I neared them, I expected them to take flight but surprisingly they stayed on the surface until I got within 30 feet. Finally, they exploded into action, and their nearby mates followed suit. I watched in wonder as the two near me raised and flapped their massive wings and hopped along the water’s surface until their momentum pushed them to flight. Once airborne, they glided effortlessly just inches above the water then climbed and soared off into the rising sun with the others.
Unlike flocks of Canada geese, which can resemble an endless stream of slow-moving arrows moving across the leaden sky, American white pelicans give the appearance they are in no hurry to reach their migratory digs. They simply move south, little by little, as northern lakes and rivers begin to freeze. And they are happy to put on an aerial performance wherever they may be.
Pelicans are gregarious birds that seemingly spend much of their time coasting and soaring among the thermals in beautifully choreographed movements. Their flight appears effortless, relaxed, even playful. Pelican flocks are called squadrons, which makes perfect sense to me as I’ve always thought they resemble B-52 bombers in flight. However, the only raids these shorebirds make are for nourishment.
Pelicans are easily recognizable in flight by the triangle of black feathers on the tips and lower edges of their wings. They are one of North America’s largest bird species, with bodies up to five feet long and a wingspan of up to 9 1/2 feet. Their most distinctive feature, of course, is their pointed orange bill, which can exceed a foot in length and supports a pouch of loose skin. This gular pouch is used in feeding and can scoop up nearly three gallons of water – and whatever is in it – at a time. Their stomachs, on the other hand, can hold only about a third of that amount, which reminds me of a poem I heard my father recite when I was a child. In a corny dad voice, he said, “Ah the pelican, the pelican. His beak can hold more than his belly can.”
Pelicans feed in shallow water, mainly on rough fish, small and large. While I’ve not experienced it, watching them feed would be a treat. Apparently, they join forces at mealtime by gathering in a line or half-circle, then flap their wings and take turns dipping their bills into the water to drive fish toward the shallows where they are more easily caught. Once fish are in the pouch, pelicans tilt their heads to empty the pouch of water then swallow the prey whole. An American white pelican eats 4 to 5 pounds of food a day.
Rebound in Minnesota
Worldwide, there are eight pelican species, two of which are in North America. The brown pelican is the smaller of the two and lives near the ocean and saltwater lakes. American white pelicans inhabit coastal areas during the winter but normally nest inland.
While pelican sightings are common today in Minnesota, it was a far different story a century ago. A survey in 1904 found just one nest in the entire state. Today, there are more than 12,000 nesting pairs, according to a 2021 census count. However, the American white pelican is sensitive to environmental contaminants, which is one reason it is listed as a Special Concern Species in Minnesota, a designation applied to species that are extremely uncommon in Minnesota or have highly specific habitat requirements. Several nesting sites have experienced substantial declines since peaking in 2011. One factor thought to have affected the decline is the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, resulting in the largest oil spill and environmental disaster in U.S. history.
Show some respect
Depending upon where they are observed, the pelican is the subject of both disrespect and awe by the casual observer. Some people may snicker when they see one standing on shore or a dock, and admittedly pelicans can look somewhat awkward and dorky while out of the water. But I’ve never heard anyone mock them while seeing them in flight. That spectacle only elicits oohs and aahs, or reverent admiration, as it very well should.
