Viewing unusual wildlife events means being in the right place at the right time. On Monday I was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time and observed an unbelievable sight.
I was at Lakeside County Park where a flock of more than 200 white pelicans herded a massive school of baitfish right up on the boat ramp. The birds worked in perfect unison, with one bunch driving the fish by beating their wings on the water and the other bunch of birds waiting on the ramp. As the baitfish surged up on the ramp the waiting pelicans scooped them with their giant bills. After a few minutes the birds traded places and the birds that had been feeding became the drivers. The water was alive with thrashing pelicans and frightened minnows. This scene went on for more than 20 minutes until the birds moved off looking for more baitfish.
Clear Lake is presently home to nearly 1,000 white pelicans and they are the most graceful bird to visit Lake County. Years ago only a few of these great birds would visit Clear Lake, but in the past five years the population of white pelicans has skyrocketed, one reason being the explosion of baitfish in the lake. There are millions of silverside minnows, baby hitch, juvenile bass and other small baitfish, all of which provide food for the pelicans.
Pelicans are a large bird, often weighing up to 20 pounds with 9 1/2-foot wingspans, which makes them one of the largest birds in North America.
In spite of their huge size, pelicans sit high on the water because their bones are full of air and they have large air sacs in their body. Because of this, they cannot dive underwater. Their primary food is fish and crustaceans.
An adult pelican consumes up to five pounds of fish per day. They are not known to nest at Clear Lake but do spend the winters here. They migrate to the lake because of its abundant food supply.
Pelicans have a yellowish pouch connected to the bottom of their bill that stretches up to six inches. Their bodies are solid white with black wing tips. During the mating season the male develops a large growth on the upper part of his beak. The bill is also bright orange during the mating season. Their feet are orange and webbed and their legs are extremely short. A pelican has a hard time walking on land. They live up to 16 years and the oldest recorded white pelican was 34 years old.
Unlike other species of pelicans, the white pelican scoops small fish up into its pouch while swimming. The pelican dips its beak, which allows the water to drain out of the pouch. The pouch can hold up to three gallons of water. It then tips its bill upward and swallows the fish. I have observed pelicans swallowing adult bass and carp.
How they actually catch their fish is what makes the birds so fascinating. A flock of a dozen or more pelicans will surround a school of baitfish and will drive the fish into the shallow water by flapping their wings on the surface, where the birds scoop up the fish.
The flight of the pelican looks like it has been choreographed. The bird”s large wing surface area allows it to make a few flaps and then glide for several hundred yards. When in flight, pelicans usually fly in single file or in a V-formation. Their flight is often described as “follow-the-leader,” meaning if the lead bird makes a dip all the other birds make the same dip.
The pelicans can be viewed along Lakeshore Boulevard in Lakeport, at the Clear Lake State Park, at Lakeside County Park and along Highway 20 between Nice and Lucerne.
