Pelicans are remarkable avian travelers, undertaking extensive seasonal journeys across vast distances. These large water birds migrate annually between their breeding and non-breeding territories. Their ability to navigate such long routes is a testament to their adaptability and the powerful instincts guiding avian migration.
Seasonal Journeys
Pelican migration typically follows a predictable annual cycle, with movements corresponding to distinct seasons. Spring migration occurs from March to April, when pelicans travel northward to their breeding grounds. Birds arrive at these breeding colonies from April to May, remaining there through early to mid-September.
Fall migration generally takes place from mid-September through mid-November as pelicans move southward to their wintering areas. They occupy these warmer wintering grounds from mid-November through the end of February. The specific timing can vary slightly based on geographic location and prevailing environmental conditions.
Why Pelicans Migrate
Pelicans undertake these migrations to access optimal conditions for survival and reproduction. A key factor is the availability of food sources, particularly fish, which can become scarce in colder climates during winter months. Migration ensures they find sufficient sustenance year-round. They also seek suitable breeding habitats, which often include isolated islands in freshwater or saline lakes that offer protection from predators.
Favorable climate conditions are another driver, as pelicans prefer to avoid harsh winters or extreme heat. Northern populations migrate to warmer regions during winter to escape freezing temperatures. These movements allow pelicans to exploit seasonal abundance of resources and ensure successful nesting and rearing of their young.
Where Pelicans Travel
Pelicans follow established migratory routes between their northern breeding grounds and southern wintering areas. American White Pelicans breeding east of the Rocky Mountains migrate south and east, along river valleys, to winter along the Gulf of Mexico. Those breeding west of the Rockies move southward to the Pacific coast of California and western Mexico. During migration, pelicans fly along river corridors and valleys, but can also cross deserts and mountains. These birds seek shallow bays, inlets, and estuaries for wintering, which provide suitable prey and resting sites.
Breeding sites are often remote islands in freshwater or saline lakes across inland North America, including areas in the Canadian prairie provinces and the Great Basin. Some non-migratory populations of American White Pelicans exist in Texas and Mexico.
Variations Among Pelican Species
Migration patterns differ among pelican species, particularly between American White Pelicans and Brown Pelicans. American White Pelicans are largely migratory, with most populations undertaking long-distance journeys between their breeding and wintering grounds. They travel from inland North America, including parts of Canada and the northern United States, to coastal regions of the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America for winter. These white pelicans are known for their soaring flights, often in large flocks using thermals to conserve energy.
In contrast, Brown Pelicans exhibit more localized movements, with many populations being resident or dispersive rather than undertaking extensive migrations. While some Brown Pelicans in the northern parts of their range do migrate, their movements can be erratic and dependent on local conditions. After breeding, some Atlantic and Pacific coast populations move northward for the summer before returning south for winter. However, some populations along the Gulf Coast and in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the southeastern coast are largely non-migratory, remaining in their breeding range year-round where weather and prey conditions permit.