Brown Pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassAves (Aus)
OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicaniformes)
FamilyPelecanidae (Pelicans)
GenusPelecanus (Pelicans)
SpeciesPelecanus occidentalis (Brown Pelican)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Paracas National Reserve

1 Verified records at Paracas National Reserve

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mouth of the Amazon River, and along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. The nominate subspecies in its breeding plumage has a white head with a yellowish wash on the crown. The nape and neck are dark maroon–brown. The upper sides of the neck have white lines along the base of the gular pouch, and the lower fore neck has a pale yellowish patch. The male and female are similar, but the female is slightly smaller. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Paracas National Reserve

Pelecanus thagus

Egretta thula

Egretta caerulea

Ardea alba

Nycticorax nycticorax

Plegadis ridgwayi

Bubulcus ibis

Butorides striata

Ardea cocoi

Egretta tricolor

See all 10 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Brown Pelican at Paracas National Reserve — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Probability
1	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	80–90%
2	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	70–80%
3	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	70–80%
4	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	60–70%
5	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	60–70%
6	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	60–70%
7	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	50–60%
8	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	50–60%
9	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	40–50%
10	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	40–50%
11	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	40–50%
12	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	40–50%
13	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	40–50%
14	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	40–50%
15	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	30–40%
16	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	30–40%
17	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	30–40%
18	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	20–30%
19	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	20–30%
20	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	20–30%
21	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	20–30%
22	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	20–30%
23	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	20–30%
24	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	20–30%
25	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	20–30%
26	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	20–30%
27	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	10–20%
28	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	10–20%
29	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	10–20%
30	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	10–20%
31	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	10–20%
32	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	10–20%
33	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	5–10%
34	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	5–10%
35	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	5–10%
36	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	5–10%
37	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	5–10%
38	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	5–10%
39	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
40	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
41	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
42	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
43	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
44	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
45	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	<5%
46	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
47	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
48	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
49	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
50	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	Insufficient data
51	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
52	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
53	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
54	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
55	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
56	Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park	🇯🇲 Jamaica	Insufficient data
57	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
58	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	Insufficient data
59	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
60	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
61	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
62	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
63	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data

← Back to Paracas National Reserve

Brown Pelican

Closest Relatives at Paracas National Reserve

Peruvian Pelican

Snowy Egret

Little Blue Heron

Great Egret

Black-crowned Night Heron

Puna Ibis

Cattle Egret

Striated Heron

Cocoi Heron

Tricolored Heron

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found