Pelicans are among the largest flying birds in North America, recognizable by their immense size and the distinctive elastic pouch beneath their long bills. The migratory patterns of interest belong to the two species found widely across the continent: the American White Pelican and the Brown Pelican. Their movements represent a seasonal shift driven by the changing availability of food and suitable habitat. This article focuses on the routes and destinations of these two North American birds.
Identifying the Migratory Pelican Species and Motivation
The American White Pelican undertakes the longest and most defined migration, traveling thousands of miles between its breeding and wintering grounds. In contrast, the Brown Pelican, a strictly coastal bird, exhibits shorter, more regional movements, often described as post-breeding dispersal rather than true long-distance migration. The primary motivation for these seasonal journeys is the change in resource availability across northern latitudes.
The White Pelican’s inland breeding habitat (freshwater and saline lakes) becomes inaccessible when winter temperatures cause the water to freeze. This freezing removes access to the fish and aquatic invertebrates that constitute their diet, forcing a southward migration to warmer climates with open water. Spring migration begins early, often in February or March, as they travel north to establish breeding colonies. The fall movement south typically occurs between September and November.
Brown Pelicans migrate mainly to follow concentrations of fish and avoid cold winter weather in the northern limits of their range. While some populations remain year-round in warm areas like the Gulf Coast, those that breed further north disperse long distances after the nesting season. This movement ensures continuous access to shallow, productive marine foraging areas.
Major Migration Routes and Flyways
The American White Pelican utilizes established continental corridors, primarily the Central and Mississippi Flyways, for its long-distance journey. Birds breeding east of the Rocky Mountains generally follow a broad migratory pathway tracking major river systems, such as the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, toward the Gulf of Mexico. These river valleys provide reliable stopover points with sufficient open water and foraging opportunities.
Pelicans that breed west of the Continental Divide follow a distinct western route, migrating over deserts and mountain ranges toward the Pacific coast and points south. This western population segment may use the Snake River system in Idaho before moving south along corridors like the Colorado River to reach wintering areas in California and Mexico. Their flight is characterized by utilizing large flocks, often numbering in the hundreds, flying in the familiar V-formation.
These large, heavy birds are masterful at soaring, migrating primarily during daylight hours and using thermal updrafts of warm air to gain altitude and conserve energy. By soaring, they minimize the energy required for flapping, which is common for large, long-distance migrants. This allows them to cover significant ground with minimum expenditure of resources before stopping at a suitable lake or reservoir to rest and feed.
Critical Breeding and Wintering Destinations
The American White Pelican’s breeding grounds are situated on remote, predator-free islands within large freshwater and saline lakes across the Great Plains and Great Basin. Major nesting colonies are found in U.S. states like Montana, South Dakota, and Utah (including the Great Salt Lake), and across the Canadian prairie provinces. They require these isolated locations to protect their nests, often traveling up to 30 miles or more from the colony to forage in shallow waters.
For the wintering season, White Pelicans converge on warm, southern coastal regions, including the Gulf Coast states from Florida to Texas and the Pacific coast of California. Their winter range extends into Mexico and as far south as Guatemala. They seek out shallow bays, estuaries, and protected inlets where they can find abundant fish in ice-free waters.
The Brown Pelican uses the coastal environment for both breeding and overwintering, though locations differ seasonally. Breeding colonies are established on isolated, rocky islands and in mangrove swamps along the Pacific coast (e.g., the Channel Islands in California) and the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. After breeding, Pacific populations disperse widely, moving north along the coast as far as British Columbia before returning south in early winter. Atlantic and Gulf Coast populations follow a similar pattern, moving northward in late summer and returning to warmer waters by winter.