Brown Pelican
Brown PelicanBrown PelicanBrown PelicanBrown Pelican

Brown Pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Tortuguero National Park
551 Verified records at Tortuguero National Park
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ 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 →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Pelican sighting in Tortuguero National Park, based on 551 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Tortuguero National Park

Bare-throated Tiger Heron
LC

Bare-throated Tiger Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tigrisoma mexicanum

60–70% · Likely
Little Blue Heron
LC

Little Blue Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta caerulea

60–70% · Likely
Green Heron

Green Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Butorides virescens

50–60% · Likely
Great Egret
LC Endemic

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

40–50% · Likely
Snowy Egret
LC

Snowy Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta thula

40–50% · Likely
Green Ibis
LC

Green Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mesembrinibis cayennensis

40–50% · Likely
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
LC Endemic

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nyctanassa violacea

20–30% · Possible
Cattle Egret
LC

Cattle Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bubulcus ibis

20–30% · Possible
Tricolored Heron
LC

Tricolored Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta tricolor

20–30% · Possible
Boat-billed Heron
LC

Boat-billed Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cochlearius cochlearius

20–30% · Possible
Great Blue Heron
LC Endemic

Great Blue Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea herodias

10–20% · With luck
Fasciated Tiger Heron
LC

Fasciated Tiger Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tigrisoma fasciatum

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
30–40
Feb
20–30
Mar
5–10
Apr
10–20
May
20–30
Jun
20–30
Jul
10–20
Aug
5–10
Sep
10–20
Oct
10–20
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

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

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Brown Pelican in Tortuguero National Park?

About 19% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Pelican sighting in Tortuguero National Park, based on 551 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Brown Pelican in Tortuguero National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Brown Pelican in Tortuguero National Park in our monthly data.

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