WildView™

February 3, 2022

A Penchant for Pelicans

- as seen by -

Gail Rogers

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My favorite bird is the pelican.

I often go to Heart Lake at WCS’s Bronx Zoo to take pictures and watch the pelicans.

On this particular day, the pelicans were swimming. The lighting and the fall colors made for a wonderful photo as the leaves and the pelican’s beak seemed to match.

Peruvian pelicans (Pelecanus thagus) are very large birds that plunge dive to catch fish along the coast and inshore waters of western Latin America.

Their conservation status is Near Threatened according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In the wild, these pelicans face challenges including climate change and overfishing that limits their prey.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This photo was chosen as one of the top submissions for Wild View’s Fall Colors. Congratulations! Enter our current Assignment, Freeze Frame, embracing the season’s change.

Nikon D750

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