Brown pelican preening. After wiping its long beak on the uropygial gland near the base of its tail, the pelican spreads the preen oil on feathers about its body, helping to keep them water resistant, an important protection for a bird that spends much of its life diving in the ocean for prey. La Jolla, California, USA
Stock Photo: 19966 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, endangered, endangered threatened species, feather, grooming, la jolla, la jolla pelicans, occidentalis, pelecanidae, pelecaniform, pelecaniformes, pelecanus, pelecanus occidentalis, pelecanus occidentalis californicus, pelican, pelicanidae, preen, preen gland, preen oil, preening, san diego, seabird, seabird behavior, uropygial gland, usa, vertebrata, vertebrate |