Brown Pelican Picture Gallery

Approximately four feet tall and with a wing span of nine feet, the Brown Pelican is the poster child of avian sea life. Featured in photographs, paintings and sculptures of docks, pilings and piers this bird conjures up images of a wistful and blissful life at sea. Things were not always rosy for this aquatic flier and in the 60's and 70's it was in danger of being wiped out due to the use of the chemical pesticide DDT. Thanks to conservation efforts the brown pelican has made a much-welcomed comeback.

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel single lens reflex (dSLR) camera was employed for most of the bird photos below. It was equipped with a  Sigma zoom lens 200-500 mm, sometimes with a 1.4 tele-extender. All photos on the page are downsized and compressed for loading speed. The high resolution 6.3 megapixel images are archived offline.

A click on each picture brings up a larger image. Use your BACK button to return to this page.

Brown Pelicans happily rest on pilings, piers, trees, rocks and dirt.
The brown pelican is a great subject for photography because it sits still!
Yellow head is mating color.	Harbor patrol.
The brown pelican dives for its catch. Fish spotted, the pelican turns (upper left) and power dives (upper right).
After the catch, a pestering Laughing Gull often lands on the brown pelican, trying to dislodge and steal the catch.
The birds are graceful fliers, gliding through the heavy sea air.