Every year in March, thousands of American White Pelicans migrate to Utah, where they’ll hang out til late fall. These big, beautiful birds are a lot of fun to watch, so keep your eyes peeled because they’ll be here soon.
American White Pelicans winter along the coast in Southern California and in Mexico, then head to their northern breeding grounds in early spring.
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Gunnison Island in Utah is home to one of the largest breeding colonies in the country, with as many as 20 percent of the world’s population of American White Pelicans nesting there.
Google The island is owned by the state of Utah, and is closed to the public to protect the birds.
These Pelicans are one of the largest birds in North America.
ElementalImaging/iStock/Getty Images They’re the longest bird, measuring 50-70 inches, and have the second-longest wing span - as much as 120 inches from wing tip to wing tip. Adult pelicans can weigh as much as 30 pounds.
Once the birds arrive on Gunnison Island, they get busy making their nests. Both the males and females work to build the nest, then the female lays anywhere from one to six eggs.
Darrell Gulin/The Image Bank/Getty Images Baby pelicans hatch after about a month of incubation, and they’ll stay with their parents for three or four weeks before making their way into the world. Only about 25 percent of the chicks survive to the end of the nesting season.
After the breeding season, the pelicans can be observed on Antelope Island, at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, and in reservoirs around northern Utah.
jstewartphoto/iStock/Getty Images The pelicans are social creatures, and help each other forage for food. They’ve been observed gathering in a circle to corral small fish, then dipping their beaks into the water to feast.
Pelicans have been breeding on Gunnison Island since at least 1897, and the colony thrived for more than a century, but the health of the population has declined in recent years.
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Low water levels in the Great Salt Lake create a land bridge to the island, which allows predators to feast on the chicks. In 2019, the number of nesting pelicans on Gunnison Island was only about 65 percent of its previous population.
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Keep an eye out for these migrating pelicans this year, and make plans to visit the wetland preserves in the area to see them while they’re here.
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Have you seen these pretty pelicans here in Utah? We’d love to see your photos!
KenRinger/iStock/Getty Images
The island is owned by the state of Utah, and is closed to the public to protect the birds.
ElementalImaging/iStock/Getty Images
They’re the longest bird, measuring 50-70 inches, and have the second-longest wing span - as much as 120 inches from wing tip to wing tip. Adult pelicans can weigh as much as 30 pounds.
Darrell Gulin/The Image Bank/Getty Images
Baby pelicans hatch after about a month of incubation, and they’ll stay with their parents for three or four weeks before making their way into the world. Only about 25 percent of the chicks survive to the end of the nesting season.
jstewartphoto/iStock/Getty Images
The pelicans are social creatures, and help each other forage for food. They’ve been observed gathering in a circle to corral small fish, then dipping their beaks into the water to feast.
Evelyn Chavez/iStock/Getty Images
The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is home to many different species throughout the year. Read our article about it here.
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Address: Gunnison Island State Wildlife Management Area, Utah, USA
