Distinguishing Characteristics

Large, dark coastal seabird with characteristic pelican features: long bill, extensible gular pouch, totipalmate feet. Overall length 100–137 cm. Bill 25–38 cm; about 10% longer in males than females. Wingspan about 2 m. Average mass 2–5 kg; males 15–20% heavier than females. Brown with white belly during first year, gradually assuming Definitive plumage by 3–5 yr of age; sexes similar. In Definitive plumages, upperparts gray to gray-brown, belly black-brown, remainder of undersurface striped black and silver. Molt of head and neck produces 3 distinct appearances per annual cycle: Head pale yellow and neck white during postbreeding season; head yellow and neck dark brown just prior to onset of breeding; head white (sometimes speckled with dark feathers) and neck brown during nesting. Distal portion of gular pouch dark gray-green year-round.

During courtship, proximal third of pouch bright red in w. North America, blackish metallic green in e. North America. With onset of incubation, colors fade to yellow-gray and gray-green, respectively.

Easily distinguished from American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), the only other North America pelican, which is larger and has white body with black primaries and outer secondaries (Evans and Knopf 1993).