Pelicans perform an elaborate courtship dance to attract a mate. They build a large stick nest, and both male and female help incubate the eggs. The chicks are born altricial, or helpless, and require both parents to care for them until they are able to fly and hunt on their own. Pelicans typically have two broods per year. The first brood hatches in late spring, and the second brood hatches in late summer.