The wonderful bird of Dixson Lanier Merritt's limerick is represented around the world by eight species, only two of which occur in North America. It can be found in bays, tidal estuaries, and beaches along both our coasts. Although mainly a southern bird it may sometimes be found as far north as Nova Scotia and British Columbia. This past December brown pelicans have been spotted moving eastward through the strait of Juan de Fuca into Puget Sound. On the West Coast, pelicans nest on the ground, primarily on offshore islands where they can be free from ground predators, while in Florida and the Keys they often nest in the trees of mangrove swamps.
Pelicans are spectacular birds and fun to observe particularly when they're feeding.
I watched as flocks of them patrolled back and forth at a height of 15 to 20 feet over the shallows off Rialto Beach. Upon spotting a fish, a bird would peel off into a dive with head and neck outstretched, and wings folded back for streamlining. Just before entering the water the bird would transform itself into a torpedo by clapping its wings tightly against its body. We could tell when a bird had been successful because, upon returning to the surface, it would point its beak upward to force water out of its pouch through openings at the corners of its mouth and then, GULP, down would go the fish for, contrary to the poet's assertion, the pouch is only used to catch food, not to store it. This mode of feeding has its price because, even though the eyes are closed a split second before hitting the water, the constant impact of diving apparently damages them so that many birds eventually go blind.