Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2019-03
| Common name: |
Brown Pelican |
| Scientific name: | Pelecanus occidentalis |
| Date: | 22 November 2016 |
| Time: | 16:45 |
| Length of time observed: | 10 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | Adult |
| Sex: | Unknown |
| Location: | Utah |
| County: | Grand |
| Latilong: | 38.6074095,-109.5415878 |
| Elevation: | 3,976 feet |
| Distance to bird: | Landed ~200 yards from me, then ~100 yards when it flew past me. |
| Optical equipment: | 8x42 Nikon bins |
| Weather: | Clear sky after rainy day. Low 40sF |
| Light Conditions: | Sky bright, sighting location shaded from river canyon wall. |
| Description: Size of bird: | Large, similar to Great Blue Heron. |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Heavy bodied, short legged, long necked. |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Grayish brown body, off-white neck, yellowish crown. |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Gray, as long as neck. |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Standing on shore, short legs, stout, grayish brown body. Long
necked with long bill held down close along white neck. Distinct yellowish
crown. Swimming, large body, upright neck with bill held close. Flying, large bodied, no trailing legs, immense wings, head drawn back with long bill straight forward. Slow deep wingbeats. Flight low over river, tips of wings sometimes grazing surface of water. |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | Silent. |
| Behavior: | First seen flying low over water close behind Great Blue Heron. Both then landed on cobble beach. Pelican then swam out to mid-river and from there took flight upstream. |
| Habitat: | Colorado River canyon. Cobble beach, brushy bank, open quiet water. |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
White Pelican larger and distinctly different color. Great Blue Heron smaller bodied, longer legged, smaller billed, and different color. Great Blue Heron flies with long trailing legs. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
I have observed Brown Pelicans in CA and TX, White Pelicans in CA,TX, and UT. |
| References consulted: | Nat Geo Field Guide to Birds of NA |
| Description from: | Notes taken at the time of the sighting |
| Observer: | Steve Heinrich |
| Observer's address: | HC64 Box 2913 Castle Valley UT 84532-9613 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | None. |
| Date prepared: | 24 February 2019 |
| Additional material: | |
| Additional comments: |