Lostman’s River a Guidebook

← Critters

critter

Brown pelican

Pelican on the dock
Pelican on the dock — Ch. 2 — Illustration © Linda McKillop
Brown pelican
Companion-site illustration (AI-generated from the author’s brief)
Scientific
Pelecanus occidentalis

In the book

Bertha and Oscar; the hooked pelican Snapper carries to the door; the fish-head thief at Lostman's.

Field notes

  • Dive from 30–60 feet and hit the water head-first; air sacs under the skin cushion the impact.
  • A pouch can hold about three gallons — more than the stomach.
  • Nearly wiped out in the 1960s–70s by DDT; recovered and delisted in 2009.
  • Fishing line and hooks are now one of their biggest killers — exactly the rescue Dan performs.

More from the people who look after this place: Everglades National Park.

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