http://www.bigcountryaudubon.org/2008/04/03/brown-pelican-kirby/ Birding in the Big Country Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:42:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 http://www.bigcountryaudubon.org/2008/04/03/brown-pelican-kirby/#comment-1686 Lg Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:44:34 +0000 http://www.bigcountryaudubon.org/2008/04/03/brown-pelican-kirby/#comment-1686 Edna, I went back to Kirby between 11 am and noonish and did not relocate the pelican. Doesn't mean it wasn't there. If anyone else goes looking, please let us know if you find it. Edna, I went back to Kirby between 11 am and noonish and did not relocate the pelican. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. If anyone else goes looking, please let us know if you find it.

]]> http://www.bigcountryaudubon.org/2008/04/03/brown-pelican-kirby/#comment-1685 Edna Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:01:43 +0000 http://www.bigcountryaudubon.org/2008/04/03/brown-pelican-kirby/#comment-1685 Wow - you know I love pelicans -- I'll try to find a way to go and see him. Wow - you know I love pelicans — I’ll try to find a way to go and see him.

]]> http://www.bigcountryaudubon.org/2008/04/03/brown-pelican-kirby/#comment-1681 David Blankinship Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:39:13 +0000 http://www.bigcountryaudubon.org/2008/04/03/brown-pelican-kirby/#comment-1681 Another comment: After looking at the other photos I note what may be some dark feathers in the white head plumage. If so, this may well be a bird just getting it's first breeding plumage. If the bird is not in good health the molt may just be messed up. The dark brown hind neck, part of breeding plumage, seems to be well developed. Another comment: After looking at the other photos I note what may be some dark feathers in the white head plumage. If so, this may well be a bird just getting it’s first breeding plumage. If the bird is not in good health the molt may just be messed up. The dark brown hind neck, part of breeding plumage, seems to be well developed.

]]> http://www.bigcountryaudubon.org/2008/04/03/brown-pelican-kirby/#comment-1680 David Blankinship Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:24:40 +0000 http://www.bigcountryaudubon.org/2008/04/03/brown-pelican-kirby/#comment-1680 Most interesting. This appears to be an adult bird in breeding plumage. As in most bird species, wandering Brown Pelicans are more often juveniles. Note the pinkish pouch color. Some pelicans have red pouches in breeding season and this fades to pink or yellowish. I would expect a healthy red-pouched bird to be in "high color" at this season. Red pouches were once considered a charactistic of the western subspecies and found only on Pacific Coast birds. We have nemerous red-pouched birds breeding on the Texas Coast and this is not mentioned in the literature until after the recovery of the Texas population. The Texas Brown Pelican population was less than 100 birds in the early 1970's. The appearance of red-pouched birds caused speculation as to the origin of part of the recovering population. I have one recovery report from the Mexican Pacific Coast of a Brown Pelican I banded as a nestling near Corpus Christi. I have not been able to varify this report. Most interesting. This appears to be an adult bird in breeding plumage. As in most bird species, wandering Brown Pelicans are more often juveniles. Note the pinkish pouch color. Some pelicans have red pouches in breeding season and this fades to pink or yellowish. I would expect a healthy red-pouched bird to be in “high color” at this season. Red pouches were once considered a charactistic of the western subspecies and found only on Pacific Coast birds. We have nemerous red-pouched birds breeding on the Texas Coast and this is not mentioned in the literature until after the recovery of the Texas population. The Texas Brown Pelican population was less than 100 birds in the early 1970’s. The appearance of red-pouched birds caused speculation as to the origin of part of the recovering population. I have one recovery report from the Mexican Pacific Coast of a Brown Pelican I banded as a nestling near Corpus Christi. I have not been able to varify this report.

]]>