brown pelican
Pouch-billed seabird
The brown pelican is a large coastal seabird of the Americas, distinguished by its grayish-brown plumage and the dramatic pouch beneath its long bill.
Unlike most pelicans, it dives from height to catch fish, folding its wings and plunging bill-first into the water.
Brown pelicans lined the pier, waiting for scraps from the fishing boats.
Bird's complete feather coat
- beakHorny avian mouthpart
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
- pouchSmall flexible bag
- wingspanTip-to-tip extent
bill · waterfowl · flock · nesting · roosting · preening · perching · colony
At risk of extinction
- DDTBanned chlorinated insecticide
- recoveryRegaining what was lost
- protectedKept from harm
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
Land-water boundary
- seashoreOcean's edge
- pierWaterfront landing structure
- wharfShip docking structure
- dockMooring structure at water's edge
estuary · tidal · saltwater · maritime · sandbar · bay · gulf · mangrove
plumage
Bird's complete feather coat
wingspan · bill · waterfowl · flock · nesting · roosting · preening · perching · colony · rookery
endangered
At risk of extinction
threatened · pollution · sanctuary · preservation · ecosystem
shoreline
Land-water boundary
dock · estuary · tidal · saltwater · maritime · sandbar · bay · gulf · mangrove · jetty
fish
Gilled aquatic vertebrate
mullet · pouch · gullet · swallow · regurgitation · chicks · expandable · catch · herring
headfirst
Entering crown-first
- splashLiquid scattering on impact
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- impactForceful contact or consequence
targeting · descent · angle · buoyancy · immersion · foraging · swoop
- wildlifewhite-tailed deer, birds, mammals, elephant, reptiles
- coastal wildlifegrey seal, seagull, gull, sandpiper, dolphin
- long-billed birdsibis, spoonbill, stork, curlew, toucan
- seabirdspenguin, penguins, seagull, gull, gulls
- California natureCalifornia condor, California poppy, California sea lion, coast redwood, redwood
- Caribbean wildlifeshark, sharks, dolphin, whale, flamingo