Pelican Feeding Frenzy
Pelican, a large water bird is characterized by a long beak (bill) and large throat pouch used in catching prey (fish) and draining water from the scooped up contents before swallowing.
There are eight living pelican species with a patchy global distribution. Of the eight kinds only two pelican species feed by plunge-diving into the water, one of which is the 'Brown' pelicans shown in this clip. Though brown pelican is regarded as a large bird, it is the smallest of the eight species. It's about 4 ft. in hight with an average 8 ft. wing span weighing 10 lbs.
When foraging, pelicans fly a few feet or a considerable height over a school of fish and dive at high speed into the water, often submerging completely below the surface momentarily as they snap up prey. Upon surfacing they spill the water from the throat pouch before swallowing their catch.
Pelicans are very gregarious birds; they live in flocks of both sexes throughout the year. In level flight, pelicans tend to fly in groups, with their heads held back on the shoulders, the bills resting on the folded necks. They fly high and low over the water's surface in a "V-shape" formation.
Anatomically, pelicans are exceptionally buoyant due to the internal air sac(k)s. Basically, its a network of subcutaneous air sacs under their skin situated across the ventral surface including the throat, breast and undersides of the wings, as well as having air sacs in their bones. The air sacs are connected to the airways of the respiratory system, and the pelican can keep its air sacs inflated by closing its glottis. The air sacs serve to keep the pelican remarkably buoyant in the water and may also cushion the impact of the pelican's body on the water surface when they dive from flight into water to catch fish.
Santa Barbara, California. January 15th, 2013.
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