The American White Pelican is not as common as the Brown Pelican in the S.F. Bay Area. I have consistently seen them at Lake Merritt and Middle Harbor in Oakland and at Miller Knox in Richmond. It is a beautiful sight to see a flock of them flying overhead.

Unlike the Brown Pelican, the White Pelican does not dive for its food. Instead, it dips its head underwater to scoop up the fish. I have also seen it consume aquatic plant matter. Both sexes look similar, but the male is larger and its long beak grows in a downward arc. The female's beak is shorter and straighter. The most noticeable breeding difference is the protuberance on the top end of their bill.