The Story
I photographed this juvenile Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) in flight at Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida, United States, in November 2020, with its wings spread against a clear sky. Six to nine weeks after hatching, young pelicans leave the nest and gather in small groups known as pods. Males and females look alike, though females are slightly smaller. Besides fish, it occasionally eats amphibians, crustaceans and the eggs and nestlings of other birds. It nests in colonies in secluded places, often on islands or in mangroves. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/2500 sec, f/6.3, ISO 400, −0.7 EV. A 2013 study found that the inlet brings about 93 million dollars a year to regional businesses and supports 970 local jobs.
©2024 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) belongs to the family Pelecanidae (Pelicans) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2018), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List