Pelicans (3)
Photo: R Munguia
American White Pelican
A common resident whose numbers dwindle to a few stragglers from May to
August. A flock of 8,000 was noted in PPM in November, 1989. On January
20, 2001, as many as 9,000 were noted on a PPM trip. In July of 2004, 800 were seen at the 4-corners phosphate
mine. The LCBC high count was of
7,600 in 2009, and 6,500 in 1984.
Great White Pelican
One individual found in a phosphate mine with hundreds of other pelicans
in 1998 may have been an escapee, but the bird was never found after the
initial discovery. On January 20, 2001 a similar "pink"pelican
was seen by many observers at the same location. This bird normally lives in Europe and Africa.
Brown Pelican *
Brown Pelicans were a rare sight prior to 1990, but now in 2010 becoming increasingly more common . Generally found in the larger water bodies in the Lakeland area, they sometimes occur in the company of White Pelicans. They are usually found singly but a flock of 12 in Winter Haven was reported. By the end of the 1990s these pelicans were roosting at night in the Lake John rookery in an old Lakeland PPM, and not returning to the coast. In May of 2008 the first nest was detected there. They are far more common in the county today than just 5 years ago. The LCBC high count of 87 was in 2006, 67 in 2005, 49 in 2004 and 26 in 2000 (SSC)
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