The Brown Pelican Swoops into the Library

It's summer time, which means it's time to share shorebirds in our Audubon case! On display from June 7 through July 11 is plate 421, the brown pelican. Those of us in New England states might not easily see the brown pelican in the wild, as it is more commonly found along the southern East and West Coasts, and into Mexico and South America. It is shown here perched on one leg along the shoreline, with a lighthouse in the distance.

The brown pelican had been placed on the United States endangered species list in 1970 because the use of pesticides was threatening its existence. However, with the banning of several pesticides, the brown pelican population increased to the point that it was removed from the endangered list in 2009 and is now considered a species of least concern. Efforts to protect the brown pelican date to the early 1900s, when then-president Theodore Roosevelt established Pelican Island in Florida as the first federal bird reservation.

From the look of this pelican, you can guess how it feeds! Pelicans fly low over water in search of fish and then swoop down and scoop them up. Read more about the brown pelican in the Audubon Field Guide and visit our reading room to see this print in person.

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian