Brown Pelican

(Pelecanus occidentalis)

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N4B, N4N - Apparently Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

Minnesota

not listed

 
Brown Pelican
Photo by Gregory Gilman
 
Description

On a non-breeding adult, the body is grayish brown and the belly is blackish. The head and neck are white but are often tinged with yellow. On a breeding adult, the back of the neck is dark chestnut brown and there is a yellow patch at the bottom of the front of the neck.

 

Size

Total length: 39 to 60 (99 to 152 cm)

Wingspan: 80 to 90 (203 to 228 cm)

 

Voice

 

Similar Species

 
Habitat

Seacoasts. Rare inland.

Ecology

Migration

 

 

Nesting

 

 

Food

 

Distribution

Occurrence

Brown Pelican is rare inland and a very rare stray into southern Minnesota in spring and summer.

 

Maps

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

Taxonomy

Class

Aves (birds)

Order

Pelecaniformes (pelicans, herons, ibises, and allies)

Family

Pelecanidae (pelicans)

Genus

Pelecanus (pelicans)

   

Subordinate Taxa

California Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis ssp. californicus)

Eastern Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis ssp. carolinensis)

Galápagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis ssp. urinator)

Tropical Pacific Brown (Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis ssp. murphyi)

West Indian Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis ssp. occidentalis)

   

Synonyms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Term

Definition

 

 

 

 

 

Visitor Photos
 

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Gregory Gilman

Brown Pelican

The Black Pelican

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
   

 

   

 

 

Camera

Slideshows

Brown Pelican
Jon Cormorant

Brown Pelican

 

slideshow

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Other Videos

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
Birds In Motion

About

Sep 8, 2021

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) - Florida Bay
baobab3ful

About

Nov 17, 2012

Pelikane beim Fischen - beobachtet auf den Florida Keys im Oktober 2012

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

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Name
Date

Location:

Brown Pelican
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

 

 

 

Binoculars

 

Created: 5/27/2025

Last Updated:

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