Brown Pelican

"Pelecanus occidentalis"

By: DJL

Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus and Species

Fun Facts | Art and Poetry | Works Cited

Kingdom: Animalia

• multicellular

• heterotroph

• made of cells organized tissues

• complex movement

• specialized organs

• characterized by distinctive stages

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Phylum: Chordota

• bilateral symmetry

• complete digestive system

• segmented body

• enlarged brain

• bony

• cartilaginous endoskeleton

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Class: Aves

• horny beak

• no teeth

• feathers

• hard-shelled eggs

• strong skeleton

• large muscular

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Order: Pelecaniformes

• large, aquatic, fish-eating

• only bird with all 4 toes connected with webbing. The hind toe is turned partly forward and is webbed to the innermost front toe.
• all except Tropic Birds have extensible gular pouch
• gular pouch (a fishing dip-net) usually unfeathered
• gular pouch also useful in thermo-regulation
• breed on land in large colonies

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Family: Pelecanidae

• large size

• impressive wingspan

• short legs

• hooked bill

• flexible lower mandible

• expandable gular pouch

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Genus and Species: Pelecanus occidentalis

• incubation ranges from 25-55 days

• medium to large aquatic birds with tot palmate feet

• all four toes joined by web

• breed in mixed colonies with other pelecaniforms

• feed primarily on fish and squid

• breeding may be annual or biennial

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Fun Facts

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Art and Poetry

Swooping high in the sky Swooping low down below catching fish here and there My pelican is everywhere

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Works Cited

Street, Robin . "Pelecanus occidentalis (brown pelican)." June 1999. University of Michigan. 11 Feb 2004. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html>.

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