Pelicans, recognized by their distinctive large bills and throat pouches, undertake impressive seasonal journeys. These magnificent birds exhibit varying migratory behaviors, traveling vast distances across continents. These annual movements are driven by specific environmental cues, guiding them to different regions throughout the year.
Migration Triggers and Timing
Pelican migration is primarily influenced by the availability of food and the onset of harsh weather. As winter approaches in northern breeding grounds, lakes and rivers often freeze, significantly reducing access to their primary food source, fish. This prompts a southward movement to warmer climates where food remains abundant. The instinct to reach specific breeding grounds also triggers their northward migration in spring.
These journeys typically follow a seasonal pattern. Most migratory pelican species begin southward flights towards the end of the breeding season, generally in September and October. The return migration northward to breeding areas usually occurs from late February through March, though arrivals can be delayed until late April or early May in some northern regions. The exact timing can vary slightly from year to year, as pelicans may adjust their schedules based on fluctuating environmental conditions.
Flight Patterns and Navigation
Pelicans employ highly efficient flight techniques that allow them to cover long distances with minimal energy expenditure. American White Pelicans, for instance, are masters of soaring flight, utilizing thermal updrafts—columns of rising warm air—to gain altitude. They circle within these thermals, ascending without needing to flap their powerful wings, thus conserving significant energy. After reaching a high altitude, they glide horizontally, slowly losing elevation before catching another thermal to repeat the process.
These large birds often fly in a V-formation, a well-known strategy for energy conservation among migratory birds. In this formation, each bird strategically positions itself to take advantage of the updraft created by the wingtip of the bird directly in front of it. This aerodynamic benefit, known as the “upwash field,” significantly reduces the energy required for flight, allowing the flock to travel much farther than an individual bird flying alone. Pelicans rely on a combination of environmental cues, including the sun’s position, familiar landscape features, and an innate sense of direction, to guide their extensive journeys.
Key Migration Routes and Destinations
The migratory paths and wintering destinations of pelicans depend heavily on their species. American White Pelicans undertake some of the longest migrations among pelican species in North America. They breed in inland areas across the northern Great Plains of both the United States and Canada, as well as in the Great Basin region. As colder weather sets in, these populations migrate south to warmer wintering grounds.
Their primary wintering areas include the Gulf Coast of the United States and Mexico, the Pacific Coast of central California, and the Salton Sea in California. Populations breeding east of the Rocky Mountains generally follow routes leading southward and eastward to the Gulf of Mexico, while those from west of the Rockies typically head south towards California and the west coast of Mexico.
In contrast, Brown Pelicans exhibit different migratory behaviors. Many populations, particularly those along the Gulf of Mexico, are largely non-migratory and remain in their coastal habitats year-round. Other Brown Pelican populations undertake shorter, more localized coastal movements. For example, some Atlantic coast populations may disperse northward in the summer after breeding, returning southward along the coast in the autumn, likely following concentrations of fish.
Pacific coast populations can migrate as far north as British Columbia after nesting, then return south to their breeding areas by the following winter. Unlike White Pelicans, Brown Pelicans are strictly marine birds, preferring shallow coastal waters, estuaries, and bays, and rarely venturing far into the open ocean.