Types of Pelican in Montana

American White Pelicans are unmistakable once you know what to look for. Adults are large white birds with black flight feathers, a massive orange bill with a throat pouch, and orange facial skin around the eyes. Their wingspan reaches up to 9.5 feet, making them towering presences on the water. They have a long, thick neck and legs that are also orange. Juveniles lack the vibrant coloring and appear mostly white with gray flight feathers and a dusky bill. In flight, their silhouette is distinctive, an enormous body with slow, graceful wing beats, often traveling in organized flocks that wheel and turn in unison.

Brown Pelicans are smaller than their white cousins, with a dark gray body, white neck and head in breeding plumage, and a distinctly different build. More importantly, Brown Pelicans are coastal birds found along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico, they are rarely seen inland in Montana. The Brown Pelican hunts by diving, while American White Pelicans feed by dabbing at the water's surface in coordinated groups. If you see a pelican in Montana, it will be white, not brown, making field identification straightforward.

The massive size of American White Pelicans is directly tied to their feeding strategy and diet. They consume large quantities of fish daily and need the body mass, lung capacity, and wing surface to hunt efficiently and travel between feeding and roosting areas. Their enormous bill and throat pouch are specially adapted to scoop and strain fish from the water. The size also provides insulation in cold mountain lake waters and allows them to thermoregulate effectively during long days on the water. Their bulk is an evolutionary advantage in the open-water, high-altitude environment of Montana's lakes.

American White Pelicans are generally silent birds, unlike many water birds. They produce low grunts and hisses, particularly in breeding colonies, but they do not have a distinctive call that carries long distances. Adults are quiet even in large flocks, and the sound of a pelican colony is more the rustle of feathers and water splashing than vocal communication. Juveniles occasionally produce weak chirps. If you hear loud calls from a large waterbird on a Montana lake, it is more likely a crane, goose, or loon than a pelican.

Adult American White Pelicans in breeding plumage are brilliant white with black flight feathers and a prominent head pouch. During the breeding season (May through July), breeding birds also develop a thin crest on the back of the head and a slight yellowing on the neck and upper breast. Non-breeding birds retain white plumage but lose the crest and intense pouch coloring. Juveniles and first-year birds are mostly white with gray-edged flight feathers and a dusky or pale bill that gradually turns orange as they mature. By age two or three, most pelicans achieve full adult plumage. The combination of bill color, pouch intensity, and head crest can help you estimate a bird's age and breeding status.

American White Pelican colonies in Montana range widely in size, from small groups of a few dozen birds to massive colonies exceeding several thousand individuals. Flathead Lake hosts some of the largest colonies in the northern United States, with peak populations during breeding season. The exact size varies year to year depending on food availability, water levels, and disturbance. Each pair produces one or two chicks per season. Colonies are fiercely territorial and the birds are excellent pilots, maneuvering across large bodies of water with precision despite their size. Island nesting provides safety from predators and human disturbance.

Juvenile pelicans can be confusing because they appear quite different from adults. Fledglings and first-year birds are mostly white or pale gray with dusky flight feathers and a dull bill that gradually brightens. They lack the intense orange facial skin and bill of adults. By their second year, they begin acquiring the orange coloring on the bill and face, but the pouch remains less vibrant. Full adult plumage and coloring typically take three to four years to develop completely. If you see a white bird with a pale or dusky bill in a Montana lake and it appears to be a pelican shape, it is likely a young American White Pelican still developing its adult colors.

No, North America is home to two regular pelican species: the American White Pelican and the Brown Pelican. A third species, the Peruvian Pelican, is found along the coasts of South America and is extremely rare as a vagrant to the United States. Within Montana specifically, only the American White Pelican is established. Brown Pelicans are found in coastal areas far to the south and west, primarily in California, along the Gulf Coast, and in Florida. Casual records of Brown Pelicans in inland areas are exceptionally rare. Montana's pelicans are virtually always American White Pelicans, making species identification simple.

In the Pacific Northwest and mountain West, American White Pelicans dominate from the Great Lakes to the Pacific coast and throughout much of Canada. Brown Pelicans begin appearing in California and become increasingly common along coastal areas farther south. Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho all host American White Pelicans in similar breeding habitats. Oregon and Washington have populations along both the coast (Brown Pelicans) and inland lakes (American White). In the central and southern plains, American White Pelicans breed on large reservoirs and lakes. To the east, the Great Lakes support substantial populations. Brown Pelicans are restricted to marine and brackish habitats, making them irrelevant to inland birders and wildlife observers in Montana.