A brown pelican preening, reaching with its beak to the uropygial gland (preen gland) near the base of its tail. Preen oil from the uropygial gland is spread by the pelican's beak and back of its head to all other feathers on the pelican, helping to keep them water resistant and dry. La Jolla, California, USA
Stock Photo: 22271 Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus Location: La Jolla, California, USA Format: Digital 2:3 Copyright © Phillip Colla, all rights reserved worldwide. Purchase a print of this image Request a review copy of this image Keywords: animal, animalia, aves, bird, brown pelican, california, california brown pelican, chordata, cleaning, feather, grooming, la jolla, la jolla pelicans, occidentalis, pelecanidae, pelecaniformes, pelecanus, pelecanus occidentalis, pelecanus occidentalis californicus, pelican, preen, preen gland, preen oil, preening, san diego, seabird, seabird anatomy, seabird behavior, uropygial gland, usa, vertebrata, vertebrate, wildlife |