American White Pelican

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Here September to April.

Look for

A huge white bird with a long orange bill and a stretchy pouch under it.
Black feathers along the edge of each wing. You see them best when it flies.
Orange legs and feet. When it flies, it folds its neck back onto its shoulders.

A little about it

Pelicans are here from September to April, and November has the most. Big flocks stop on lakes and rivers on the way south in fall. They pass through again on the way north in spring.

Pelicans fish as a team. They line up and use their wings and feet to push fish toward shallow water. Then they dip their heads and scoop up fish in their pouches. One pouch can hold several gallons of water!

A pelican is huge, and it flies very well. On clear days, flocks ride warm air and circle higher and higher. The birds in a flock often flap their wings at the same time.

Pelicans nest in groups on islands far from people. The mother lays about 2 eggs. The chicks eat by reaching into a parent's pouch for food, and they can fly at about 10 weeks old.

Fun fact

Pelicans keep their eggs warm with their feet! They don't have the bare patch of skin on the belly that many birds use.

When it's here

January: here
February: here
March: here
April: here
May: a few
June: a few
July: a few
August: a few
September: here
October: here
November: here
December: here

Taller bars mean more sightings. Most often seen in November.

How big

55 to 70 inches, with wings about 9 feet across. Much bigger than a goose. It's one of the biggest birds in North America.

Where to look

Lakes and rivers, where flocks float together on the water. On clear days, look up. Big groups circle high in the sky.

On or by water
Flying overhead

People have spotted it at Lake Overholser, Lake Hefner, Arcadia Lake.

Could it be something else?

Snow Goose
It's white with black wingtips too, and it travels in big flocks. But a Snow Goose is less than half as long as a pelican. Its bill is pink-orange, with no pouch.
Great Egret
Another big white bird at the lake. It's white all over, with a yellow bill and long black legs. It's much thinner than a pelican.

Where these facts come from

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation field guide
Audubon Guide to North American Birds
When it's here: Sightings shared on iNaturalist in the 8 counties, all years.