Northern pike, whitefish, perch, salamanders and frogs, along with a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates. These are the mainstays of their diet. An adult pelican eats up to 5 pounds of food per day. White Pelicans scoop fish out of the shallow water, strain excess water from their pouches, tip their head back and swallow. When food is scarce, they form a circle and herd their prey to shore where they scoop it up.
Young pelicans eat regurgitated food.
When they are hungry, they make loud croaks and flap their wings. As they grow, they will often reach into a parent's pouch for food. The White Pelican arrives in Alberta in late April. They are social birds and build their nests in colonies. They return to the same nesting site for years.