Birdland: Pelicans In Love
American White Pelicans stand about 4 feet tall and have whopping 9-foot wingspans. Watching these big birds plunge into the water and suck up pouchfuls of fish is a sight to behold. In the springtime — breeding season — a peculiar thing happens to the adults. Beginning in late March, both males and females grow yellow-to-orangish “horns” on their upper bills. At some point in May, the fibrous structures fall off, only to grow back the following year. These American White Pelicans were photographed in Green Valley Ranch, northeast of Park Hill, by Mark Silverstein.