Photos by Donna

I’ve been working on the challenge of Brown Pelicans in flight.  Here’s some of my favorites from the last few weeks.

Brown Pelicans, the smallest of all Pelican species, weigh approximately 8 pounds, have a wingspan of almost 7 feet, and live up to 40 years.

It was 37 to 65 million years ago during the Paleocene and Eocene periods when birds first took to the air.  Scientists have concluded Pelicans were there during that time period.  It is documented that the pelican’s fossil record has barely changed in 30 to 40 million years.

Many people commonly mistake the Pterodactyl as a relative of the Pelican species but this is not true; the Pterodactyl was a flying reptile so it never developed feathers, the important ingredient to becoming a bird.

I’ve enjoyed photographing the local Brown Pelicans in great length.  More on profiles and dives to follow….