Other pelicans nest in small hollows on the ground, usually on islands. Female pelicans lay two or three chalky-white eggs, which hatch in about a month. Pelicans are born without feathers. They cannot fly until they are about 10 to 12 weeks old. Pelicans and people.
Brown pelicans inhabit coastal regions of the United States.
Through the years, housing and commercial developments have threatened survival of the birds in some areas. DDT was first widely used on crops after World War II ended in 1945. Rains washed the pesticide into rivers and lakes, and pelicans absorbed it into their bodies by eating contaminated fish. The chemical caused pelicans to lay abnormally thin-shelled eggs that broke open easily. As a result, few chicks were born and pelican populations declined seriously in California and several Southern states.