Pelecanus occidentalis by Sean Jones

Sean Jones

http://search.viewpoint.com/pl/imgview?ret_query=k%3Dbrown%2Bpelican%26ps%3D40%26tn%3D0%26type%3Drel38w%26color%3Dall%26size%3Dall%26opt%3Dweb&fw=500&fh=355&fs=82%20kB&fn=CA_BrownPelican40.jpg&gif=http://sk1.yt-thm-a02.yimg.com/image/6ebf81eb5354bdda&img=http://www.ejphoto.com/images_CA/CA_BrownPelican40.jpg&rc=http://www.ejphoto.com/brown_pelican_page.htm

link for image is listed above

Pelecanus occidentalis or more commonly known as the Brown Pelican is a part of Louisiana’s proud culture, even so far as to provide our state with the nickname of “the Pelican State”. The Brown Pelican, the smallest of the pelican family, is a magnificent bird that weighs up to twelve pounds and can possess a wingspan up to eight feet wide. They usually build nests in small trees or shrubs and tend to raise their young in colonies with other pelicans. The pelican’s young are usually born and raised in groups of three, and consume almost 150 pounds of fish over the duration of their nesting period, which can be from eight to ten months. Pelicans are known for their long beaks with gigantic expandable pouches, which are used to scoop fish out of the water. The brown pelican, one of the world’s seven species of pelicans, is also known specifically for being the only one of its’ kind to dive out of the air and into the water to catch its’ prey and also being the only one that is brown. Its’ natural habitat spreads from the Atlantic coast, along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, throughout the northwestern part of South America, and even on the Pacific coast of California
The brown pelican was first associated with Louisiana upon the arrival of early European settlers who resided in Louisiana. The settlers were astounded at how nurturing and caring the pelicans were to their young while raising them. In 1902, Louisianans showed their true respect for the bird by making it a prominent part of the official state seal, and then furthered that respect in 1912 by placing it on Louisiana’s state flag. As if that was not enough to show the importance of the pelican to Louisiana, on July 27, 1966 the bird was officially adopted as the official state bird, and lastly and most recently it was placed on the Louisiana’s bicentennial quarter. All of these things combined give the brown pelican an ever-lasting place in Louisiana’s culture and history.
Unfortunately in the 1960’s DDT was introduced as a pesticide in the United States of America, completely devastating the Brown Pelican population. By 1970 the effects of DDT did its’ toll on the pelican population resulting in an instant federal government reaction of placing the brown pelican on the endangered species list. Two years later, in 1972, the pesticide known as DDT was fortunately banned from being used in the United States of America, but it had already ravaged the pelican species to such an extreme that in 1966 the brown pelican had completely disappeared from Louisiana’s costal waters. Louisiana could not due without this magnificent bird populating its’ lands and waters, so in 1968 Louisiana began the importation of the brown pelicans into the state in hopes of restoring the bird population. Fortunately in 1995 the federal government declared that the pelican population had been completely restored in Louisiana.