American white pelican

Late April brings one of Manitoba’s more surprising sights: huge white birds with wingspans close to three metres, gliding in over the prairie just as the rivers open up. American white pelicans arrive from the south in spring and head for the rapids and dams, where fish get funnelled into easy reach, and for the lake islands where they nest. Watch a flock working churning water and you could be forgiven for thinking you were somewhere far more tropical.

These are among the largest birds in North America, and they fish as a team, sometimes herding schools of fish into the shallows before scooping them up. The big pouch is a scoop net, not a storage bag: it drains the water before the fish is swallowed. In breeding season adults grow a small horn on the bill that drops off once the eggs are laid. Most pelicans leave Manitoba by September or October for the southern U.S. and Mexico.

American white pelican gliding in with its wings spread and feet down against a cloudy sky

Photos

  • Close-up of an American white pelican's eye, bill and pouch
  • An American white pelican tipping its head back with its pouch open
  • A group of American white pelicans with their orange bills together at the water's surface
  • An American white pelican flying low over rushing water
  • A flock of American white pelicans on the water beneath a rainbow
  • Rows of American white pelicans packed closely together
  • American white pelicans gathered in the water, one with its bill raised
  • An American white pelican standing in shallow water beside a dam
  • Head-on portrait of an American white pelican with a small crest
  • American white pelican with its pouch open, fishing
  • American white pelicans fishing together in shallow water
  • American white pelican with wings spread over churning water
  • American white pelicans feeding in a tight group
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 1
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 2
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 3
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 4
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 5
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 6
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 7
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 8
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 9
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 10
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 11
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 12
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 14
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 15
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 16
  • American white pelican photographed in Manitoba, 17

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.