They almost look prehistoric, and indeed, their kind goes back at least 35 million years to a time known as the Eocene Epoch. The ones above are resting between meals. Usually they catch their own fish to eat, but sometimes they steal them from each other or from fisherman on the dock.
Once, in the Galapagos Islands, we watched a pelican with a fish too large to swallow. Other pelicans harassed it until it flew away but dropped the fish. Another pelican swooped down and caught the fish in the air, but it apparently couldn’t get the fish down either. I don’t know how many times this scene was repeated or the eventual outcome of the fish.
I have often heard people comment on their strange appearance and couldn’t help wondering how we might appear from the pelicans’ point of view. For my best guest guess, see: https://eskildoodle.com/strange-bird/
#pelican #cedarkey #galapagos #eoceneepoch
Eskildoodle Photos and Feelings 