The more you read about the history of wildlife in the North America the more you come to believe that almost every animal that you see today was at one time almost wiped off the planet by the settlers of a few hundred years ago.
Back in the mid-1850s as white settlers came into the area, they plowed up prairies and drained wetlands thus destroying pelican habitat. They were often shot because humans thought they ate too many of their fish. They were also shot for purely entertainment. This thought process still exists today. Pelican reproduction was also drastically reduced by human disturbance.
Adult pelicans can abandon their eggs if they are disturbed too much. By 1904 there was only one pelican nest found in the state of Minnesota.
They made a wildlife refuge on a lake in North Dakota where there were still about 50 dozen specimens located.
These and other efforts allowed the pelican populations to recover and today they are seen frequently over most of their normal distribution ranges. There are 8 distinct species of pelicans across the globe and the ones most common in Minnesota are the white pelican. These are one of the largest birds in this continent.
White pelicans are twice as big as a Bald Eagle and have wing spans up 9.5 feet. They are almost 5 feet in length from tip to tail. Their bills are over a foot long and there is a skin that connects the upper and lower bills.
This allows them to gulp up large quantities of water that for them hopefully includes small fish and other aquatic creatures.
They prefer small fish and don’t often eat the fish that fisherman seek. When they fly over me, I refer to them as B-52’s. They can soar aloft for long periods with barely a wing flap.
They must have very good eye sight although I could not find this in any of my research. I think this because if I release a fish that does not survive, they seem able to see it from ½ mile away and soon make quick work of this free morsal.
I have seen them swallow about a 5 pound fresh water drum with no effort what so ever.
They eat about 4-5 pounds of fish per day and they work together to get this job done. I have seen them swimming in a long line, sometimes 15 or more at one time. They work together to heard fish into the shallows where they surround them and then feast on their good fortune. This team work is one I only see in a few other species.
A pelican does not start reproducing until they are about 3 years old. The juveniles don’t hang out with the breeding adults and move around looking for food. When you see a batch of pelicans they are most likely not nesting in that area. There are only about 8 major breeding sites in the entire state of Minnesota. The largest one of those is located on the Lac qui Parle Wildlife Refuge near Montevideo Minnesota.
These are pretty unattractive places if you have ever seen one. There is no grass or vegetation and they often share these spots with the double crested cormorants.
This is another bird that won’t win any beauty contests. There can be several thousand nests in the same colony.
I was always told that the pelicans that have the bump on the top of their bill were the none breeding juveniles. Kind of like a no-go-zone for potential mates.
Further research indicated that the bump indicates they have reached breeding age.
They are certainly not going to win any beauty contests but they sure are an interesting creature. They are a sign of spring when they show up. I wonder what life was like for them before we showed up.
No place with a wetland in the picture is complete without a few of these giants of the sky. The lowly white pelican will never be as iconic as the state bird, the common loon, but they won’t wake you up every morning at 5:00 am either.
Take a drive tonight and eye spy a few white pelicans. If you look close enough you will find them to be well suited to their environment and a mainstay in Minnesota waters.
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com. or on Twitter @habitat champion.