Pelican Head Throw, Pelecanus occidentalis, #20188

Brown pelican head throw, winter plumage, showing bright red gular pouch and dark brown hindneck plumage of breeding adults. During a bill throw, the pelican arches its neck back, lifting its large bill upward and stretching its throat pouch. La Jolla, California, USA, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, natural history stock photograph, photo id 20188
During winter months California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) adopt striking plumage. The gular pouch (throat) of adults transitions from olive green to bright red. Breeding adults are characterized primarily by a dark brown hindneck, and may also show a yellow patch at the base of the foreneck. Nonbreeding adults retain the white hindneck but, since they also may display a red gular pouch, they are sometimes mistaken for breeders. Head coloration in adults can be white, yellow or a mix of the two, and becomes speckled during molt or chick-feeding.

Brown pelican head throw, winter plumage, showing bright red gular pouch and dark brown hindneck plumage of breeding adults. During a bill throw, the pelican arches its neck back, lifting its large bill upward and stretching its throat pouch. La Jolla, California, USA

Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 20188
Format: Digital 2:3
Keywords: adult, animal, animalia, aves, bill throw, bird, breeding, brown pelican, california, california brown pelican, chordata, coloration, creature, endangered, endangered threatened species, feather, la jolla, la jolla pelicans, mating, nature, occidentalis, pelecanidae, pelecaniform, pelecaniformes, pelecanus, pelecanus occidentalis, pelecanus occidentalis californicus, pelican, pelican head throw, pelicanidae, plumage, san diego, seabird, threatened, usa, vertebrata, vertebrate, wildlife
Purchase a print of this image
Categories:
Copyright © Phillip Colla / Oceanlight.com, all rights reserved worldwide.
This professional quality stock photo can be licensed in high resolution form by contacting the photographer: Phillip Colla, photos@oceanlight.com, (760) 707-7153, more info and photographer bio.