White pelican profile, San Pedro Town
The American white pelican, not to be confused with the Brown pelican, is a winter migratory to Belize, arriving from North America where it spends the summer months. The American white pelican is significantly larger than the Brown pelicans that we see in Belize all year and, as the name implies, has a beautiful white plumage with long black primary feathers that can be seen while they are in flight. Unlike the Brown Pelican, they do not dive for food, instead scooping it up with their large beaks and throat pouches.
Male American white pelicans are also the only pelican species that develops a 'beak horn' during the breeding season. The horn grows at the beginning of the breeding season and falls off shortly after the female lays her eggs.
Photograph by AJ Baxter
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