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. |