Beaks Built for Fishing

Brown pelicans and white pelicans strike a pose at the Bronx Zoo.

Pelicans are prolific fish eaters, which they catch with their prodigious beaks that fill with water. 

Brown pelicans are known for their slightly clumsy-looking, headlong dives they make into the water as they hunt for fish.  White pelicans, on the other hand feed cooperatively by herding fish schools into the shallows. 

Unlike brown peilicans, which are restricted to coastal areas, white pelicans venture far inland, and are frequent visitors to places like Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, where they can often be seen fishing for cutthroat trout.

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