PELICAN NO. 9

Pelican No. 9 is a brown pelican. I crossed paths with this bird at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium in Columbus, Ohio. The brown pelican is a large coastal seabird known for its distinctive long bill with a pouch, broad wingspan, and graceful flight. It feeds by plunge-diving-soaring above the water, then diving headfirst to scoop up fish in its throat pouch. Adults are mostly grey-brown with white or yellowish head and a long dark bill. They are common along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coast of the Americas. The brown pelican is both an iconic coastal species and a conservation success story, having recovered from near extinction due to pesticide use in the mid-20th century.