Ask, They Will Tell You

A sky like this with clouds and patches of blue makes American White Pelican watching enjoyable.

They soar without effort. Flying is their specialty. They expertly wheel on thermal air currents. Entire flocks circle on the rising updrafts of spring air. American White Pelicans are now on their spring migration journey.

Do you like mystery?

Do you enjoy when things are synchronized?

Do you like sky gazing?

White Pelicans are birds you will enjoy watching. But you’ll need to look up. Early to mid-spring is prime time for White Pelican migration. But please, do not ask for a specific date when you should watch. American White Pelicans do not have the same calendar we do. More on that a bit later.

American White Pelicans ( Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) have white bodies. But the top and underside of both wings, from the ends of their flight feathers inward are black. Looking upward at a flock of soaring pelican to see their black wing tips is one reason to look for them. Another reason to seek out a soaring migratory flock is the size of each bird. White pelicans are big. The wingspan of a white pelican ranges from 96 to 114 inches. Let’s put that in feet. They ARE big! White pelican wingspans range from 8’ to 9.5’. The White Pelican is substantially larger than the Bald Eagle. Perhaps massive is a better word. A large pelican weighs 20 pounds. Can you imagine what a flock of 20 to 60 soaring birds looks like? Extraordinary works.

Logic leads us to ask, what does a large bird like this eat? In a word: fish. But before those who like to fish become anxious, American White Pelicans eat minnows, and other small fish. Swimming in shallow water and tipping up like a Mallard duck to feed, they eat the small fish. In many lakes carp, and sucker minnows. They will eat crayfish and salamanders too. Deeper fish are out of reach on the gaping pelican bill. Pelicans fish in groups and drive fish to shallower water to feed on them.

Many pelicans nest in colonies located on islands safe from predators. Some nesting colonies have existed for decades. There is a place in nature for the American White Pelican. They fit nicely into aquatic food webs. Yet my opinion says the best fit for the Pelican is soaring in a blue sky. Watch a flock soar and discover the divine nature of God, and His eternal power. White is the color of holiness. Want power? How does God keep a 20-pound bird fed? Think of the food there is for the Pelican in lakes and wetlands. God does that…effortlessly.

Watch a flock of pelicans soaring…see the Hand of God in action.

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.  Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10