Louisiana State Bird
Brown Pelican

Official Louisiana State Bird: Brown Pelican
Family: Pelecanidae, Pelicans
Scientific name: Pelecanus occidentalis
Length: 48" (122 cm)
Wingspan: 84" (213 cm)
Diet: Fish, especially anchovies in breeding season, some prawns. Young fed regurgitant. Pouch serves as fishnet on dive; on surfacing, points bill down to drain pouch, then up to swallow fish.
Voice: Listen to Brown Pelican Sounds (recorded by Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Generally silent after fledging. Young in nest give groaning or screeching calls.
Habitat: Salt bays, beaches, ocean. Perches on posts, buoys.
Displays: Female squats on bare ground; male slowly and silently circles females, slightly lifting wings and tilting neck back. Female rises from squat and flies to water, male follows.
Number of broods: 1
Nest: Usually on mangrove treetops or cliffs 8-200' above, or scrape on ground; variable in size and structure.
Eggs: 2-4 white, stained eggs. 3.0" (76 mm).
Incubation period: 28-30 days
Fledge: 71-88 days after hatching
Longevity Record: 27 Years and 10 months (according to USGS Bird Banding Lab)

Almost every person in Louisiana is familiar with the Brown Pelican. It is the state bird and is also found on the state seal. Perhaps the reason it was chosen is because of the great protection it gives its young. The Brown Pelican became the official Louisiana State Bird on July 27, 1966.

Louisiana State Bird Books