The upper tip of the Pelican's pouched bill is hooked - to help hold a struggling fish. Fish are swallowed head first, if necessary the bird tosses it in the air to get the head positioned correctly. They fly high over the ocean looking for fish with their keen eyes. When they see a meal, they plunge headfirst into the water, sometimes from a height of up to 60 feet, and come up with a mouthful of wriggling fish. Air sacs beneath the bird's skin cushion the impact, and help it to surface.
Male pelicans gather materials for the nest and the female builds it.
The nest is typically a scrape or mound on the ground, banked with soil or lined with feathers or vegetation. Egg laying typically occurs in March and April. Incubation takes about one month. Both parents incubate the 2-3 white eggs, and care for the young. Newly hatched chicks are bald and helpless with closed eyes.