Brown pelicans preening, Pelecanus occidentalis, #20089
Brown pelicans 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. Adult winter non-breeding plumage showing white hindneck. La Jolla, California, USA