Historically, the American White Pelican has been a denizen of the West and the South, but Wisconsin has seen a steady increase in their numbers due to habitat loss in those areas. These days, you can spot a number of them on Stricker’s Pond in Madison.

One of the largest North American birds, the American White Pelican is majestic in the air. The birds soar with incredible steadiness on broad, white-and-black wings. Their large heads and huge, heavy bills give them a prehistoric look. On the water they dip their pouched bills to scoop up fish, or tip-up like an oversized dabbling duck. Sometimes, groups of pelicans work together to herd fish into the shallows for easy feeding. Look for them on inland lakes in summer and near coastlines in winter.More ID InfoYear-roundBreedingMigrationNonbreedingRange map provided by Birds of the WorldExplore Maps

In A Sand County Almanac, pioneering conservationist Aldo Leopold described a migrating group of American White Pelicans this way:

“Let a squadron of southbound pelicans but feel a lift of prairie breeze… and they sense at once that here is a landing in the geological past, a refuge from that most relentless of aggressors, the future. With queer antediluvian grunts they set wing, descending in majestic spirals to the welcoming wastes of a bygone age.”

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_White_Pelican/overview