Pelican Fever - catch it!

Here in the Bay Area we're blessed with 2 different types of Pelicans (that I know of), American White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, and Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis. Both are a joy to photograph.

The whites take long leisurely flights, usually in formation. They feed from the surface of the water like ducks. The browns on the other hand take shorter flights, are usually solo, and feed by dive bombing the water.

Both produce stunning images when photographed in good light, low ISO, and at the right speed (somewhere between 1/1000" and 1/2000" for a good motion freeze). The whites are more predictable, but the browns give you a variety of coloring according to age and breeding.

I hope you can find one of your own, and happy shooting!




You can find product designs based on pelicans and other birds in my zazzle store. If you have a product in mind but don't see it, just hit the Contact Me! link on the front page and maybe I'll design it for you!