The Surprisingly Social & Savage Lives of American White Pelicans

Do you love harassing your younger siblings? Are you miserable when you're away from your besties? Can you swallow an entire foot-long sub in one gulp? If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you are a big-mouthed, giant white and orange creature. No, I'm not talking about Tony the Tiger. I'm referring to the American white pelican, expert fisherman, and bird you wouldn't want to face in a hot dog eating contest. Although pelicans certainly have magnificent mouths, there is so much more to these birds than their brilliant beaks. Grab your binoculars. It's time to learn about the American white pelican. You are unlikely to mistake an American white pelican for anything else, as they're the only large white bird with orange bills and feet in North America. They are monomorphic, but males are larger than females. Both sexes grow horns on their bills during the breeding season. In reality, these strange-looking lumps are thought to communicate breeding fitness. All ages of American white pelican have black wings. Immature birds are similar to adults, but they differ in their lack of orange around the eyes and paler legs. American white pelicans are more social than a clique of teenage girls, as they're almost constantly in the company of other pelicans. Indeed, these gregarious gargantuans eat, sleep, preen, and migrate together. But just because they like to hang out with one another, doesn't mean they all play nice. Watch a group of pelicans long enough, and you'll likely see these birds getting smacked by the bills of others, or pelicans chasing others out of their way. Pelicans have no sympathy for babies either, eating pelican chicks who get lost and wander too closely to their nest. The mean streak is not reserved for fellow pelicans. No, these menaces terrorize other birds too, being kleptoparasites like gulls. Any bird that catches fish may get harassed by a pelican, with cormorants, ducks, and gulls frequently facing their wrath. When they're not being dicks, pelicans can use their bonds with one another to their advantage. For instance, they are known to cooperatively feed, with groups of pelicans herding fish and sink towards the shore, where they can scoop them up. Most of the fish pelican eat are rough fish with no commercial value. Pelicans will rest on any body of water, but they are limited to feeding in areas that are no deeper than a couple meters, as they only feed from the surface. Therefore, ponds, marshes, and rivers are the best places for pelicans to find a meal. American white pelicans are monogamous, being loyal to their mates. While being faithful to one another is no problem, they don't sign up for a lifetime of loyalty, instead choosing a Pelican courtship is nothing elaborate. It merely involves a few flight displays before parading around the breeding colony with their partner. Breeding takes place on isolated islands where pelicans are safe from land-based predators. Here, they construct a nest that would make killdeer seem like master architects. A shallow scrape in bare ground will do. After the pair goes through painstaking efforts to make this breathtaking home for their babies, they lay two eggs. Much like trumpeter swans, American white pelican eggs are incubated by the sweaty dogs of their parents. Pelican couples take shifts incubating the eggs, with some shifts lasting for three days before the partner gives them a break. Three days! Life for a baby pelican is rough. For starters, they're altricial when they're born, meaning they're completely helpless and naked. To make matters worse, if a baby pelican is second in the clutch to hatch, it's basically an automatic death sentence, as the older sibling is almost certain to steal your food and beat you senselessly. Studies have consistently found that the second baby pelican in a brood will only survive 0-9% of the time. This may seem brutal, but when your role is to be an insurance policy in case your older sibling dies, such is reality. For the pelicans lucky enough to survive, they can look forward to parents regurgitating food for them. In fact, parents will provide 150 pounds of this pukey goodness before a chick is ready to fend for itself. If a chick is still hungry after being fed, it will throw a tantrum and beat up its sibling if it's still alive. When the chicks get large enough, they form creches with other baby pelicans, creating a feathery mass of gray and white. Pelicans do not reach breeding age until they're three years old. American white pelicans are one of eight pelican species, being the largest native to North America. There are no subspecies of American white pelican. This amazing avian breeds in the prairie pothole region of the upper midwest and southern Canada. It also breeds in the greater Yellowstone region, the Great Salt Lake vicinity, and a few scattered locations throughout the Great Plains and Texas. Meanwhile, save for small numbers that winter inland near dams or reservoirs, the non-breeding season is spent in coastal areas. The total American white pelican population is increasing and thought to number about 450,000. These massive marvels face few threats, with disturbance at nest sites posing the biggest concern. Fortunately, American white pelicans seem to have a very promising future ahead of them.