Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

Kingdom: Animalia

Class: Aves

Order: Ciconiiformes

Family: Pelecanidae

Listing Status:   

Quick links: Federal Register Recovery Critical Habitat Conservation Plans Petitions Life History Other Resources

General Information

The adult brown pelican is a large dark gray-brown water bird with white about the head and neck. Immatures are gray-brown above and on the neck, with white underparts. Although the Caribbean subspecies resembles the eastern subspecies, the Caribbean brown pelican has a darker non-breeding plumage above the surface. The Caribbean pelican usually also has a darker undersurface plumage during breeding than does the eastern brown pelican. Both subspecies can reach up to 8 pounds and larger individuals have wing spreads of over 7 feet.

Population detail

The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the Brown pelican 

Map of Species occurrence

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This map represents our best available information about where a species is currently known to or or is believed to occur; however, it should NOT be used as an official species list for Section 7 Consultation purposes. To obtain an official species list for this purpose, please visit the Information, Planning, and Conservation (IPaC) System (click here: http://ecos.fws.gov/ipac)

• Population location: U.S. Atlantic coast, FL, AL
  Listing status:  Delisted due to Recovery
  
  • States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:  Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Maryland , North Carolina , South Carolina , Virginia
  • US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:  View All
  • For more information:  http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/brown_pelican.pdf
• Population location: Entire, except U.S. Atlantic coast, FL, AL
  Listing status:  Delisted due to Recovery
  
  • States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:  Arizona , California , Louisiana , Mississippi , Oregon , Puerto Rico , Texas , Virgin Islands , Washington
  • US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur:  View All
  • USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:  ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, BANDON MARSH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, BAYOU SAUVAGE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, BIG BOGGY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, BIG BRANCH MARSH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BILL WILLIAMS RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, BRETON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, CIBOLA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, CULEBRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, DELTA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, DON EDWARDS SAN FRANCISCO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, FARALLON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, GRAYS HARBOR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, GREEN CAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, GUADALUPE-NIPOMO DUNES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, HAVASU NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, IMPERIAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, LAGUNA ATASCOSA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, OREGON ISLANDS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SAN BERNARD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SANDY POINT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SAN PABLO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SANTA ANA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SEAL BEACH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SHELL KEYS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SILETZ BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SONNY BONO SALTON SEA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, THREE ARCH ROCKS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, TIJUANA SLOUGH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, WILLAPA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE  ... Show All Refuges
    
  • Countries in which the this population is known to occur:  Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Venezuela
  • For more information:  http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/brown_pelican.pdf

» Recovery

• Information Search FAQs

» Critical Habitat

No critical habitat rules have been published for the Brown pelican.

» Conservation Plans

» Petitions

» Life History

No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

» Other Resources

NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.