The brown pelican is a large, unique bird that lives on shorelines and small islands in colonies with thousands of individuals. This species is common along coastlines of the southern and western United States, the Caribbean, and parts of Mexico, Central America and northern South America.
Brown pelicans have a wingspan of about 6.5 feet (2 meters) and weigh up to 11 pounds (5 kilograms). These comical-looking pelicans are graceful in flight and can be seen flying in groups just above the water’s surface or drying out their feathers on a post by the water’s edge.