I’m a Pelican
I’m a bird of the sea

I love hovering over the waters edge

I am a glider of the sky and I love to soar over the waters and take in the view on the horizon overlooking the beach.



I enjoy getting my thrust from the waves on the beach. I power my flight and am able to glide gracefully over the breaking waves.



I can be found among the surfers and we must respect each other’s boundaries as we share the vastness of the ocean taking to the waves.



I am majestic in flight and it’s quite a sight as I scoop down to catch my prey. I can also float on the water.



I’m an excellent swimmer too as I come in for a landing I can use my webbed feet and wings to help navigate the ocean as I dive going underneath to catch fish and other sea life for my catch of the day.



Pelicans are social birds that fly together in flocks as they migrate from one place to another and they also hang out together on the ocean surface and on land.



They communicate with their beaks, through sound and body movements.



Pelicans nurse their baby chicks and the mother tends to their care while the father protects them and brings fish back to the nest to feed his family.



Pelicans live in all parts of the world and usually live inland unlike the puffin and along coastlines by lakes, rivers, oceans and sea coasts.



They adapt to all kinds of waters including freshwater, sea salt water and brackish waters.



Pelicans can fly low to the ocean surface and soar as high as 10,000 feet in the sky and during migration can fly distances up to 3,000 miles to warmer climates during the winter months.



Pelicans have a lifespan of 25 years or more with some living 40 years. Baby pelicans learn to fly from their nest at about 6 weeks old and then fly with their mothers as they seek food or shelter.



Pelicans have been traced as far back as 30 million years ago evidenced by fossils excavated by paleontologists in their digs.



Pelicans are beautiful and very friendly birds who socialize with their flock and mind their nests and go about their lives.



We are fascinated with these amazing birds of the sea and must always respect their boundaries and keep them protected.



Climate change and global warming is affecting these great birds and all animals that live on land and by the waters.



It is our responsibility to keep these species of birds and their habitats protected from the everyday threats posed by the warming of the waters.



Pelicans live on all continents with exception of Antarctica where it is much to cold for them to survive the harsh winters.



They prefer warmer temperatures and migrate to warmer climates during the winter months.



There are eight species of pelican and the distinctive features of a pelican are the long beak and a throat pouch they hold their food in. They are usually snow white in color with orange colored beaks and legs.



Pelicans are also brown in color with their feathers and are lovely looking birds.



Pelicans in flight have 11 foot wingspans and can fly as fast as 30 miles per hour covering great distances as far as 300 miles in a day in flocks of thousands of birds.



Pelicans as well as all birds that take to the skies and airplanes must always be careful of each other in flight.



Unfortunately there have been accidents involving birds and planes colliding and one such accident was US Airways Flight 1549 occurring on January 15, 2009 where shortly after takeoff the pilot and first engineer heard a thumping sound and realized that their plane’s engine struck a flock of Canadian geese that resulted in it shutting down so the crew had to glide their plane back to LaGuadia Airport but they had no chance so they radioed tower for an alternative but realized their only option was landing their plane in the Hudson River.



Miraculously Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles successfully landed in the Hudson saving the passengers and the crew, all 155 survived the accident and it was known as “Miracle on the Hudson”.



Pelicans were not the birds involved in the accident but all birds must be aware and pilots and air traffic controllers must always be prepared for birds taking to the skies.



Pelicans fly in large numbers and in V formation for long distances and pilots must always be prepared for their flight patterns.



A movie that portrays the pelican is Finding Nemo, an animated film that portrays a father in search of his son, both fish and the different fish and sea life and birds trying to reunite the two including the pelican.



There’s nothing like seeing a pelican in flight or at sea.



Let’s protect them.



I love to fly and swim the seas.



I’m a pelican.