The Daily Standard
Pictures Archive
An American white pelican chases mallard ducks and Canada geese around an unfrozen section of Grand Lake along West Bank Road on Tuesday. A pair of them are currently using the lake as a stopover on their migratory trip, which likely will take them to Texas and the Gulf region, according to Todd Haines, manager of District 5 of the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Haines said the pelicans may have taken off from the Minnesota region a bit late this winter after the open water froze. The pelicans must eat often and likely are filling their stomachs at the lake before again taking flight, Haines said. The birds, which are the only white pelicans living in North America, can weigh up to 16 pounds and have a wingspan of 9 feet. The pouch below their long, yellow-orange bill can hold up to 3 gallons of water. They mainly eat fish by floating along the water and scooping them up with their enormous bill.
