During this time, laughing gulls often hover above pelicans, or even sit on their bills, ready to steal a fish or 2. Once the water is out, the pelican then swallows the fish and carries them in its esophagus. The pouch also serves as a cooling mechanism in hot weather and as a feeding trough for young pelicans. They are rarely seen either inland or far out at sea. They are rather clumsy on land, and fly with their necks folded, heads resting on their backs, using slow, powerful wingbeats.
Pelicans are social and gregarious.
Pelicans are primarily fish eaters and require up to 4 pounds of fish a day. This includes menhaden, herring, sheepshead, pigfish, mullet, grass minnows, top minnows and silversides. Brown pelicans have also been known to eat some crustaceans, usually prawns. Brown pelicans have extremely keen eyesight. As they fly over the ocean, sometimes at heights of 60 to 70 feet, they can spot a school of small fish, or even a single fish.