Brown pelicans are the smallest pelican species. They’re still quite large, with an average wingspan near seven feet wide!
Brown pelicans feed almost entirely on fish. It’s one of only two pelican species that dive for fish, plunging into the water bill-first from as much as 60 feet in the air to scoop up unsuspecting fish.
Young brown pelicans have brown heads. After a few years, they develop the white head seen in this photo.
This brown pelican was photographed at Crissy Field Lagoon in San Francisco.