Wildlife Adult Photos

A perfect Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Ocean in Background, bending over backwards, stretching its neck and gular pouch, winter adult non-breeding plumage coloration.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38935  

Brown Pelican Closeup Portrait Intense Stare.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39815  

Spectacular Brown Pelican Head Throw Display. This California brown pelican is arching its head and neck way back, opening its mouth in a behavior known as a head throw or bill throw.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38675  

California Brown Pelican head throw, stretching its throat to keep it flexible and healthy.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 30304  

A perfect Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Ocean in Background, bending over backwards, stretching its neck and gular pouch. Note the winter breeding plumage, yellow head, red and olive throat, pink skin around the eye, brown hind neck with some white neck side detail, gray breast and body.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39873  

California brown pelican breeding plumage portrait, with brown hind neck, yellow head and bright red throat.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38835  

A perfect Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Ocean in Background, bending over backwards, stretching its neck and gular pouch, winter adult breeding plumage coloration.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38888  

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. Adult winter non-breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 30326  

California Brown Pelican head throw, stretching its throat to keep it flexible and healthy. Note the winter mating plumage, olive and red throat, yellow head.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 30336  

Brown pelican in flight with wings spread wide, slowing as it returns from the ocean to land on seacliffs, adult winter non-breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38584  

California brown pelican winter breeding plumage portrait, this adult is gently clapping its jaws, showing brown hind neck with yellow head, red and olive throat pouch, white with yellow chevron on the breast.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38692  

California Brown Pelican Portrait With Twisted Neck, overcast light, winter adult breeding plumage, head twisted to face backwards as it preens, eyes locked on camera.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38861  

Brown Pelicans Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38867  

California brown pelican, portrait in pink-purple predawn light, rests on sandstone seabluff. The characteristic mating plumage of the California race of brown pelican is shown, with red gular throat pouch and dark brown hindneck colors.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 23646  

California Brown Pelican head throw, stretching its throat to keep it flexible and healthy. Adult winter non-breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 28347  

Brown pelican in flight with wings spread wide, slowing as it returns from the ocean to land on seacliffs, adult winter non-breeding plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38608  

Pelican yoga, Utthita Tadasana, extended mountain pose with backbend. A California brown pelican preening, rubbing the back of its head and neck on 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. Adult winter breeding plumage showing brown hindneck and red gular throat pouch.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38710  

California Brown Pelican Portrait, immature with head tucked into feathers, resting and staring at the camera, overcast light, immature/juvenile plumage.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38862  

Adult male humpback whale singing, suspended motionless underwater. Only male humpbacks have been observed singing. All humpbacks in the North Pacific sing the same whale song each year, and the song changes slightly from one year to the next.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Image ID: 02796  

Brown Pelican Performs a Head Throw Lit By Sun on Pedestal Rock, dark ocean from storm clouds on horizon.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39820  

Study of a California brown pelican in winter breeding plumage, yellow head, red and olive throat, pink skin around the eye, brown hind neck with some white neck side detail.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 39870  

Perfect Brown Pelican Head Throw in Winter Breeding Plumage, pelican leans its head way back to stretch its throat pounch and neck.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, Pelecanus occidentalis
Image ID: 39884  

Brown Pelican Diving For Food, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.
Species: Brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach
Image ID: 39887  

California Brown Pelican claps its jaws, sometimes rapidly several times, perhaps to dislodge debris or simply because its fun and feels good. This is not the same as the "yawn" that precedes a head throw. Adult winter breeding plumage with brown hind-neck.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38590  

Adult California brown pelican in transition from non-breeding to breeding winter plumage. Note the brown hind neck of a breeding brown pelican is just filling in. This pelican already displays the red and olive throat and white and yellow head feathers of an adult winter brown pelican.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38679  

California brown pelican orange morph, preening its feathers while on cliffs over the ocean. While this adult brown pelican exhibits the brown hind neck of a breeding adult, it displays an unusual orange throat rather than the more typical red.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38688  

Spectacular Brown Pelican Head Throw Display. This California brown pelican extends its head and bill up and back, stretching its neck and pouch in a behavior known as a head throw or bill throw. Adult winter breeding plumage. Pelican yoga, High Mountain pose, Tadasan.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38691  

Marichyasana, sage twist pose, pelican yoga. Brown pelican doing yoga, actually its preening, bending its neck back to spread preen oil on the back of the head and neck, likely second winter coloration.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38805  

A perfect Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Ocean in Background, bending over backwards, stretching its neck and gular pouch, winter adult breeding plumage coloration.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38879  

Young brown pelican performing yoga Warrior Three or Half Moon Pose Virabhadrasana, on one leg with wings raised and head tipped forward. Possible second or third year winter plumage, immature.
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California
Image ID: 38881