Brown Pelican in Galápagos: Facts and Where to See It

Brown pelicans fish by plunge-diving from high up and using the force of the impact to stun small fish before scooping them into the pouch. Only two pelican species feed this way, and the brown pelican is one of them.

• A twist on the way down. In a dive the pelican tucks its head and turns its body to the left, probably to protect the windpipe and gullet, which run down the right side of the neck.
• Draining the pouch. After a dive it lets the water run out of its bill before swallowing, and gulls use that moment to steal the fish, sometimes while standing on the pelican's head.
• Thieves too. Pelicans follow fishing boats and hang around piers for scraps.

Brown pelicans live along ocean coasts, gliding in lines above the surf and resting on rocks, mangroves and harbour walls. They incubate their eggs with the skin of their feet, in effect standing on them to keep them warm. In Galápagos, the guide records note them in mangrove lagoons such as Black Turtle Cove and Elizabeth Bay, and on rocky coasts and beaches from South Plaza to Punta Vicente Roca.

The guide sighting records note brown pelicans as present across the archipelago, so most coastal visits offer a chance. Of the 8 sites listed by name, 2 are rated Possible: the mangrove lagoons of Elizabeth Bay on Isabela and Black Turtle Cove on Santa Cruz, both visited by panga. The others, among them South Plaza, Cerro Brujo and Punta Cormorant, are rated Rare as specific sightings.

Brown pelicans are in Galápagos all year. In the next twelve months, 876 departures stop at a site where they are recorded.

No. Brown pelicans are fairly common today and listed as of low concern. That was not always so: in the mid-twentieth century, the pesticide DDT made their eggshells so thin that they cracked under the weight of the incubating parent. After nearly vanishing from North America in the 1960s and 1970s, the species made a full comeback once the pesticide was regulated, an excellent example of a species recovering from pesticide pollution. In Galápagos, park rules keep visitors at least 2 metres (6 feet) from wildlife and forbid feeding.

1. Missing the dive. Watch pelicans that circle high over the water; the dive follows quickly.
2. Feeding them. Pelicans beg near fishing boats, but park rules forbid feeding wildlife.
3. Getting too close on the rocks. Keep the 2-metre distance, also with birds that seem used to people.