North American field guide
American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Also known as:Rough-billed Pelican
Identification
Field notes
158 cm (62") Wings 274 cm (108") Locally common in breeding colonies. Lakes, bays, beaches. White bird with black wing tips. Massive orange bill with a large pouch in the throat region. Does not dive like Brown Pelican, rather feeds by dipping bill into water by wading or swimming in shallows.
In flight, flaps and glides. Flocks fly in lines, V's and may circle high on thermals.
Details in the field
Photo gallery
Watch and learn
Videos
American White Pelicans in Kentucky
Credit: Kentucky AfieldWhere it lives
Distribution maps
Source legend · original intervals
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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant · 1 rule
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
American White Pelican
1 ruleRule 1 11 criteria · confidence 1
- What colour were the WING TIPS ?
- Black or dark gray · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
- What colour was the NECK ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
- What colour was the BILL ?
- Yellow · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and thick · Flattened · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Long · Very long · Unknown
- What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Goose-sized · Larger than a goose
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Duck or Goose-like