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Whether gliding over the water with its tremendous wings outspread, diving at a 90-degree angle to snatch up fish, or plodding onshore to steal the day’s catch from local fishers, the Brown Pelican is one versatile seabird. 

Fossil records date the species’s evolution back at least 30 million years—maybe not surprising when you hear their prehistoric-sounding croak—but just a few decades ago, Brown Pelicans were on the brink of extinction. Conservationists and biologists have worked hard to help them rebound, and today’s much larger population is evidence of their success. Read on to learn more about these distinctive and resilient coastal creatures. 

1. Contrary to common lore, Brown Pelicans do not store fish in their beaks (or, to be technical, in their gular pouches). As soon as a pelican catches a fish and drains the water from its pouch—which can expand like a balloon to hold more than of water—it swallows its meal right down, sometimes gulls or terns in the process.

2. The species’s signature hunting strategy is the high dive: When a hungry Brown Pelican spots a school of fish, it folds back its wings and plummets headfirst into the water from as high as 60 feet in the air. Their descent is not only fast, it’s steep—they dive at nearly 90 degrees, to reduce water refraction that can make it harder to see their prey. Just before hitting the water, they rotate their bodies slightly to the left—a move that’s to pelicans. The birds aren’t just showing off, they’re protecting their esophagus and trachea, located on the right side of their necks. Air sacs beneath the skin of a pelican’s breast also help to cushion its dive.

3. A specially designed two-part stomach breaks down the fish a Brown Pelican swallows. Pelicans have no teeth, so they rely entirely on their stomachs to process food. In the first chamber, the stomach secretes acid that helps soften bones and scales. Then food passes to the gizzard, a muscular pouch that grinds the meal into smaller pieces. Sometimes, the gizzard contains bits of rock that help to crumble up bones. While pelicans can digest bones in the fish they eat, swallowing a fish is potentially dangerous—the sharp edges can puncture a pelican’s gular pouch and esophagus, making it impossible for them to feed.

4. Brown Pelicans prefer fish, but they have been known to gobble up all sorts of prey, from other birds to small reptiles. When hunger strikes, they’ll take what they can get—or at least attempt to, as demonstrated by a Brown Pelican that . (Other pelican species have been documented trying unsuccessfully to consume a  and having better luck .) 

5. From 1970 until 2009, the Brown Pelican was listed as an endangered species. Like many birds, pelicans fell victim to DDT, a pesticide that caused birds to produce eggshells so thin they broke under the weight of their parents. No Brown Pelicans bred in Louisiana when it became the state bird in 1966. But after the EPA banned DDT in 1972, the birds began to recover, reaching pre-pesticide numbers by the late 1990s. Today, Brown Pelicans number an estimated  and are no longer considered a species of conservation concern. 

6. Much like humans, pelicans flock to islands to find love. They are extremely social animals and prefer to nest in colonies called rookeries. These are typically found on remote islands, where the birds are free from predators. While their romance isn’t broadcast as reality TV (but maybe it should be), there’s plenty of drama. A rookery can host thousands of pelicans, all looking for the best nesting spots and mates. A male pelican will choose a nesting site and perch there defending his spot, sometimes for several weeks, before a female decides to mate with him. But once a match is set, the pair remains monogamous—for a season, that is.

7. Brown Pelicans are parenting pros. In many bird species, it’s up to the female to make a nest, sit atop eggs for weeks, and feed her young. Not so for these birds. Male and female Brown Pelicans work together to build their nest: The male delivers sticks while the female handles construction. Once the female lays her eggs, both parents incubate them, warming them for around 30 days until the baby birds are ready to hatch. Then, the two parents both take on the responsibility of feeding their , by lovingly regurgitating fish onto their nest floor.

8. Brown Pelican parenting does carry a risk, though, due to their unusual incubation strategy: They use their feet. The webbing in pelican feet is , allowing heat to pass directly from foot to egg. Even though DDT-weakened shells are no longer a concern, startled pelican parents flying off quickly have been known to accidentally crush the eggs below them.

9. Along the California coast, northern anchovies are the Brown Pelican’s favorite food. The lanky fish are loaded with important nutrients and lots of fat, which is critical, especially during breeding season. Declines in anchovy populations have historically with reproductive failures of pelicans and other anchovy-loving predators, such as sea lions. Today overfishing and climate change pose threats to anchovies. Around California, researchers estimate that warmer waters could reduce the anchovy population by , raising concerns about the pelicans that rely on them.

10. Brown Pelicans like to feed close to shore, making them particularly susceptible to oil spills. In April 2010, just a few months after the Brown Pelican was removed from the endangered species list, the BP oil spill unleashed 134 million gallons of oil into prime pelican breeding sites off the coast of Louisiana. Researchers estimate that the United States  of its Brown Pelican population as a result. Nearby islands also soaked up oil—some completely dissolved when the trees that stabilized them died. On Cat Island, where 1,000 Brown Pelicans used to nest, there are none today. However, thanks to intensive restoration work, pelicans continue to breed successfully on other islands including Queen Bess, once for impacts of the oil spill.