An adult can weigh up to 10 lb. They are elegant fliers, often cruising just over the tops of the breakers in a single file formation, alternately flapping and gliding. Since birds can't sweat, the pouch also helps the bird to cool off in hot weather. The California brown pelican is a water bird. You may see them on breakwaters, jetties, pilings, and sandbars at harbors.
Pelicans are social, and often forage in groups.
They eat fish that school close to the water's surface, such as northern anchovies, herring, Pacific mackerel, menhaden, mullet, minnows, and Pacific sardines. Pelicans dive from great heights to catch fish, or use their large expandable throat pouch to scoop up small fish while swimming. The bird holds the bill down to drain the water, then up to swallow. 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.