White Pelican

The White Pelican is huge, endangered, and here.

The White Pelican has an impressive wingspan of 2.4 to 3.0 metres, greater even than that of the Trumpeter Swan. Mind you, the swan outclasses the pelican in weight by about forty percent. However, a bird sighting reveals size not weight, so when the White Pelican flies low overhead, you know you have encountered an aerial giant.

This North American bird is not broadly endangered, but it is so in British Columbia where there is only a solitary breeding colony. That colony is in White Pelican Provincial Park, about 70 kilometres west of Williams Lake. Indeed to help survival, the Park is closed to the public during the pelican breeding season.

The White Pelican sometimes passes through our area during its migration. This May, it has been seen around the Lake from Creston north to Lardeau, and west to Nelson.

White Pelicans in the distance appear blurry and wiggly as a result of the intervening turbulent air.

Although the pelicans in the above picture were distant, fourteen others obligingly flew overhead.

You have to be impressed when one giant flies low overhead, but when a flock of giants does—wow.
I am indebted to Peter Mciver for showing me where I might see some White Pelicans.