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Photo by Larry Dalton and Laura Romin
Photo Copyright Larry Dalton and Laura Romin
American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G4
State (S-rank): S3
External links
Species range
(This species currently nests in Utah only on Gunnison Island (Box Elder County) in the Great Salt Lake. Formerly it also nested on Hat Island (Tooele County), Egg Island (Davis County), and Rock Island (Box Elder County), all in the Great Salt Lake, and on Rock Island in Utah Lake (Utah County). George Oliver, 2001)
Habitat
Hayward et al. (1976) wrote: "The White Pelican occupies somewhat barren islands for resting and nesting and feeds on fish from freshwater bodies nearby." Behle (1981) said that in northeastern Utah this species occurs as a "transient at larger bodies of water." Walters and Sorensen (1983) listed breeding habitats in Utah as "barren islands", "lakes, reservoirs, ponds and sewage lagoons (open water)", and "marshes and wet hummocks", the latter two categories of habitats being utilized in migration as well.
Threats or limiting factors
(Evans and Knopf (1993) stated: "Highly sensitive to human intrusions into nesting colony, which cause desertions, especially during courtship and early incubation. Throughout incubation and breeding periods, disturbed parents leave nests, exposing eggs and young to potential temperature extremes and gull predation. Loud and close passes by motor boats and low flying airplanes can cause upflights from colony. Feeding and loafing flocks are also dispersed by approach of motor boats." They also pointed out that historically this species was shot for sport or trophies and was persecuted because of its fish-eating habits, even though most fish consumed are rough fish. They noted: "Shooting is the greatest single source of mortality reported from band returns . . .."
Evans and Knopf (1993) also mentioned: "Tissues of adults and eggs concentrate organochlorine pesticides and mercury." They pointed out that eggshell thinning is correlated with pesticide concentrations, and shells are now almost 10% thinner in western populations than they were in samples taken before 1940. George Oliver, 2001)
Evans and Knopf (1993) also mentioned the negative effects of changes in water levels, which can destroy breeding and foraging areas.
