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Q: I have seen, on the lake in Spring and Fall, several large birds which I believe are pelicans. Is this correct?
A: Yes, they are indeed pelicans. White pelicans do pass through the Okanagan on their migration route, usually mid-April to mid-May and again in late August to as late as November. Their destination in the spring is Stum Lake, in the Chilcotin area of BC. In the fall they are en route to the Southern States and Central America.
It is estimated that 100 pairs nest at Stum Lake. The nests are usually on an island in a colony. There are other breeding sites in Northern Alberta, Saskachewan and Manitoba.
The pelican belongs to a family that includes frigatebirds, anhingas, cormorants and tropical birds which have four toes joined by webbing. They are huge birds, measuring over 130 cm with a wingspan of 270 cm and weighing 7500gm(16 lbs). They circle high in the sky following a leader, but fish while swimming. By contrast, the brown pelican dives in a spectacular plunge for its food. Both have large bills and pouches.
In breeding season the male white pelican has a noticeable knob on the top of the bill. The brown pelican is found on ocean shores and bays and often perches on posts, boats and rocks. I am sure that those of us who have visited the Caribbean have delighted in the antics of the brown pelican.
At one point in the history of the Okanagan, misguided people hunted these magnificent birds. Let us hope that we see them for years to come.
Pat Westheuser, a director of Central Okanagan Naturalists Club, can be reached at 769-6605, or email:
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