American White Pelican at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee County Wisconsin on December 16, 2023

While birding Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee an American White Pelican was present. Not totally uncommon to have a few pelicans around in the winter months if there is open water. It was on a rock shore in the lagoon area giving great looks. It moved around some, to the beach area, then out in the open water in the lagoon and then took off flying south. I heard later it ended up at South Shore Yacht Club. It was a very gloomy day, temps around 40 but with the winds it was pretty cold. Images were taken on December 16, 2023.

The American White Pelican on the rocks…

Preening…

At the beach area….gulls were doing some light harassing and the pelican moved out into the water…

Headed south from the lagoon…

American White Pelican at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee Wisconsin on September 27, 2022

While birding Lakeshore State Park the surprise bird of the day there was an American White Pelican. I found this juvenile bird at the pebble beach at the park and it was just standing there.  After a while it took a swim to the other side of the lagoon and jumped up on the rocks literally. It did some preening and a little resting and then went back out in the water. It swam to the south end of the lagoon and then took off, did a loop over the lagoon and then flew over to the lighthouse water. I watched it drift to the south. It was a partly cloudy day with a good wind and cool temps around 55 degrees. Images were taken on September 27, 2022.

At the pebble beach, the juvenile American White Pelican…

Moving about the lagoon off of the pebble beach…

Preening on the rocks on the west side of the lagoon…

And more preening…

That eye…

Back in the water…

Moving towards the south end of the lagoon…

American White Pelicans, Ruddy Turnstones and more at Sheboygan Wisconsin on May 31, 2019

I made a run up to Sheboygan on Lake Michigan to see what birds are hanging out. North Point had a few American White Pelicans on the rock, all that remains of the once large rock point. A few pelicans also loafed on some of the jetties at North Point there along with gulls. Some gulls were present but nothing odd that I could come up with other than Bonaparte’s Gulls. Probably 1,000 gulls were present out on the South Pier Boardwalk way out, but with just the bins, nothing seemed interesting. The Deland Park pier surprisingly had 3 Ruddy Turnstones and 10 Sanderlings feeding off the pier and rocks present. For the most part the pelicans were just hanging out, I did not see much feeding or interaction going on with them. It was a gorgeous day out, full sun and a nice breeze. Images were taken on May 31, 2019.

Ruddy Turnstones, 2 males…

American White Pelican at takeoff…

Fighting for the “Rock”, the American White Pelicans..

Ruddy Turnstone, a male finding things to eat on the rocks…

The closeup

Sanderling, transitioning to breeding plumage feeding on the pier with something in the bill…

Sanderling, adult breeding plumage

Then there was one…

Takeoff time…

Just flying by North Point…

Coming in for a landing…

Floating around looking for food…

Takeoff…

Bonaparte’s Gull, adult nonbreeding

Bonaparte’s Gull, adult nonbreeding

American White Pelicans at North Point Park in Sheboygan Wisconsin on May 29, 2018

I made a run up to North Point Park in Sheboygan on Lake Michigan’s lakefront to see if American White Pelicans where present. Arriving just after sun up, there were about 150 off the rock point. The water on the lake is high and there is less room for them to gather on the point so they were more condensed I would say. A couple of the old concrete piers to the south of the point held some pelicans on and off while I was there in the morning, they were flying back and forth. There was not much action when I was there other than some flying back and forth to the piers or flying just down the shoreline along with preening and small interaction among them. Even with little action, these majestic birds are still exciting to see. Only other bird to note was a 1st summer Lesser Black-backed Gull. It started out feeling like a cold fall morning with good winds right out of the NE and some haze. Temps did warm up some mid morning with a little sun coming through. Images were taken on May 29, 2018.

American White Pelican

American White Pelican

Binomial name: Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Category: Pelicans

Size: 62” long, 108” wing span

Weight: 16.4 lbs

Cool fact: One of the largest birds in North America. Their pouch, bottom of their bill can hold up to 3 gallons of water.

Congregated off the rock point at North Point Park

Just a flyby…

3 preening on the rock…

Alone…

American White Pelican with a Ring-billed Gull on the rock…

In the water…

Incoming…

Dropping down…

Overhead…

Dropping down…

American White Pelicans at North Point Park in Sheboygan Wisconsin on June 12, 2017

A place I always check out about the first of June each year is North Point Park in Sheboygan. It usually has some action and today was no different. Guessing there were between 200-300 American White Pelicans on the rocky point. What beautiful birds! Some fished out on the open water, some slept on the rock, some just hung out but these birds are preening machines as that is what they did the most. It was an enjoyable early morning watching these majestic birds in action. It was cool at times today being on the water, wished I had a light coat on occasion, sunny skies to start but then that turned to overcast. I was told by one of the locals that these birds will move up to Green Bay in the next few weeks for the summer. Images were taken on June 12, 2017.

An adult with a fish…the horn on the bill is disappearing as it is the end of the breeding season…the bill first appears at the beginning of the breeding season…

American White Pelican

Binomial name: Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Category: Pelicans

Size: 62” long, 108” wing span

Weight: 16.4 lbs

Cool fact: One of the largest birds in North America. Their pouch, bottom of their bill can hold up to 3 gallons of water.

The rock point where the pelicans hang out from a distance…

In flight

Adult fishing

2 fishing

Adult coming in for a landing, this is what they do……possible 3 juveniles on the far right side with no black on head…

Some interaction…

Adult circling around to land…

Before landing

Touching down to land…

Wing spread and a look at the foot

Some of the norm today…

A group of adults coming in to land…

Landing

3 coming in, pretty much the norm today with some coming and some going…

Landing

Circling before landing…

Just before landing…

The landing

Some circling above..

A soft landing…

A possible juvenile, some heaving preening here which went on all day with all of them…

Adult, a fish in bill…

Just after takeoff from the point…

Possible juveniles with a couple sleeping…

Just a gulp!

American White Pelicans at Lake Sinissippi in Dodge County Wisconsin on August 10, 2016

I checked out a birding spot coming home from Horicon Marsh and found some American White Pelicans on Lake Sinissippi. These appeared to be mostly juveniles but not 100% certain. They were fishing in groups which pelicans typically do and missed fish on most occasions under the water. A few times one in the group would get a nice size fish and the group would go crazy, they fought hard trying to take fish from the one who got it. I noticed on a couple images one pelican actually put the pelican with the fish in a head-lock and next in a neck-hold! It got pretty crazy! A fun couple hours out when I least expected it.

American White Pelican

American White Pelican

American White Pelican

Binomial name: Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Category: Pelicans

Size: 62” long, 108” wing span

Weight: 16.4 lbs

Cool fact: One of the largest birds in North America. Their pouch, bottom of their bill can hold up to 3 gallons of water.

American White Pelicans

American White Pelicans

When the start to fish, they gather in some what a circle, put their bills in the water and try to all go down into the water about the same time

For fishing, many pelicans gather in some what a circle, put their bills in the water and try to all go down into the water about the same time, amazing!

They all go down into the water about the same time.

Fishing…

This group all came up empty, no fish

This group came up empty, no fish

Time to re-group, move to another location and try again

Time to re-group, they move to another location, usually near by and try again, they must hear fish, sense fish, as they are attracted to a new location. The process was on going the time I was present.

Fish again

They fish again

Going down once again, they do this for hours, typically how the pelican fishes for food

Down they go…

Going for the food can get rough

A fish is caught on the left and it gets crazy as other pelicans want the fish too!

Typical

The excitement continues as they try to take the fish away

The battle

The struggle continues, the fish still in the pelicans pouch…

The battle

The struggle continues…

The battle

and continues…

Will it give up the fish?

Will this pelican give up the fish?

Still has it in the bag

Still has the fish in the pouch on the right trying get control of the fish

Wow

Looks like a head-lock is being used by another pelican on the left, they are still after the fish!

Wow,

Now it looks like a neck-hold is being used in the middle!

I'm not giving it up!

Not giving it up, fish in the pouch in the middle

The struggle is still on

The struggle still continues…

The struggle is still on...

The struggle is still on…

It heads out of the group

Finally the pelican heads out of the group with the fish…

Away it goes, it has gotten away with the fish

Off it goes with the fish

American White Pelican

American White Pelican

Going fishing

Going fishing

Doing some preening

Doing some preening

More preening

More preening

American White Pelican making a pass over the area

American White Pelican makes a loop around the area

And just continuing on its way

The flyover

The landing

The landing

Fishing

Fishing

One gets a fish

Another fish, on the left side

Another struggle

Another struggle, fish in the middle

It continues

The struggle continues, a few other pelicans want the fish too

Going with the fish in pouch

Going with the fish in pouch

The struggle

The struggle

No swallowing this fish, I think just getting a better grip on it

Not swallowing this fish, I think just getting a better grip on it, it moved out of the area with it…

Things settle down and this pelican takes the fish elsewhere

Things settle down and this pelican takes the fish elsewhere

Sensing something here, maybe fish?

Sensing something here, maybe fish?

American White Pelican

American White Pelican

American White Pelicans

American White Pelicans

Moving to the right...

Moving to the right…probably a juvenile

American White Pelican

American White Pelican, probably a juvenile

American White Pelican

American White Pelican

American White Pelican at McKinley Beach in Milwaukee Wisconsin on October 29, 2014

I was just heading out the door this morning when I got a text message from a friend Bruce that he had located an American White Pelican at McKinley Beach. The bird was viewed previously by other birders at least a week ago, if this is the same bird. If it is, it some good hiding places. An American White Pelican is a common bird, but it is a special sighting on the lakefront in Milwaukee. I have preciously viewed them up in Sheboygan on the lakefront there. When I arrived at the location it was present. This location was on the lake side of the large rocks just east of the beach. I notified Jym M of the bird after receiving the text from Bruce as I knew Jym had been on the hunt for this bird for his Milwaukee Co. list. Jym arrived in a few minutes later, and he was all smiles, congrats Jym! The bird did some extensive preening while we were present. After preening it took to the water and then took off to the south. A fun birding moment for all of us and thanks to Bruce for the early text message this morning! Also present close by were about 12 Snow Buntings, 20 Female Surf Scoters out a ways, a couple of Horned Grebes and the Glaucous Gull.  Images were taken on October 29, 2014.

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American White Pelican

Binomial name: Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Category: Pelicans

Size: 62” long, 108” wing span

Weight: 16.4 lbs

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Stretching

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Stretching

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Stretching

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Stretching

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Preening

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Preening

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Preening

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Grooming

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Stretching

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Stretching

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Grooming

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Preening

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Preening

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Preening

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Preening

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Grooming

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Preening

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Horicon Marsh, WI July 29, 2013

Photographs from Horicon Marsh, Fond du lac/Dodge County, Wisconsin taken July 29, 2013.

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Baby Common Moorhen

Baby Common Moorhen

Juvenile American White Pelicans

Juvenile American White Pelicans

Juvenile American White Pelicans

Juvenile American White Pelicans

Juvenile American White Pelicans

Juvenile American White Pelicans

Juvenile American White Pelican

Juvenile American White Pelican

Juvenile Black Tern

Juvenile Black Tern

Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Egret

To view the full gallery of images, please click here.