American White Pelican

If you are like me, when you think of pelicans you think of beaches, oceans, and warm weather. Needless to say, I was surprised to see American White Pelicans as I approached Grahams Island State Park in ND

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

I have stated in the past that I don’t consider myself a birder. My bird identification skills are terrible. I love the eBird app, especially the sound identification. I was in the area to photograph water fowl. I didn’t have pelicans on my bingo card. If I had done a little research ahead of time, I would have anticipated seeing pelicans. You see, the prairie potholes are part of their breeding grounds. They migrate during the daytime and rely heavily on thermals. Did you know that the keratinous appendage on their bill is referred to as the “centerboard”. It develops in the spring shortly before breeding and naturally falls off in late summer. It is a pretty unique feature to this bird.

I love when I see something I didn’t expect. Have a great day.

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