62 inches long with a 108 inch wingspan. The American White Pelican is a huge white bird with black wing tips. The adults have a long, orange bill with a pouch. The legs and feet are also orange. In breeding season the head has white plumes and there is a laterally flattened “horn” on upper half of the bill. In non-breeding plumage the horn and white plumes are gone and the legs and feet are duller.
The American White Pelican is a common migrant through the area that may be seen flying over the lowlands from mid March through early May and again from mid July through mid December.
The American White Pelican is usually seen in a flock. It flies gracefully with its neck tucked. It does not plunge dive into the water as is done by the Brown Pelican, rather it feeds while swimming and dipping its bill into the water and scooping up prey. There is a highly developed cooperative foraging where birds encircle fish or drive them to the shallows where they become concentrated and can be more easily caught with synchronized bill dipping. The American White Pelican was considered threatened at one point but has since recovered and is increasing in population.
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