American White Pelican

The American White Pelican is big with a 9-foot wing span. Unlike the smaller brown pelican, it doesn’t dive for food. If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see water spilling out of the bird’s beak, the result of thrusting its head underwater in search for a meal.

While I took this shot near Carmel, I don’t see many white pelicans. Brown pelicans are a daily sighting in this area.