Where to Find: Around Las Vegas, look for American White Pelicans at Lake Mead during fall and winter. Sometimes they show up at Sunset Park and in the Duck Creek area.
Comments: White Pelicans feed by dipping their long bill into the water to scoop up fish. In contrast, Brown Pelicans generally feed by diving head first into the water, although Brown Pelicans sometimes dip their bills too.
A banded pelican was resident at Sunset Park throughout 2013. Bird "UT-12 69G" was banded in Utah in 2012. I first photographed it at Sunset Park January 8, 2013, and the bird remained in the park all summer and was last seen on December 5, 2013. |