The brown pelican is weel- know to American sea fishermen. Along the Pacific coast it can be seen flying from the state of Washington to Peru, although it only nests in areas from central California to Ecuador. On the Atlantic coast, brown pelicans are sometimes seen as far north as New England and as far south as Brazil, as well as the Caribbean Sea.

Although the brown pelican lives in a large area of the world, it is an endangered bird. The widespread use of poisonous pesticides has indirectly caused the deaths of thousands of pelicans. Pesticides are used to destroy harmful plants and animals. Unfortunately, some pesticides can be found in oceans and in fish that the pelicans eats.

The pelican swims with ease. It oftens flies a few inches from the tops of waves without letting its wings touch the water. It also likes to soar in the sky, carries by the warm air currents, as eagles and hawks do. The brown pelican may be peaceful when its flying, but it puts on quite a show when it looks for food. Flying 30 to 100 feet above water, it spots a fish near the surface. The bird then slows down, folds its wings behind it, and dives like an arrow into the water, headfirst. Sometimes it disappears completely into the water. But its powerful wings can allow it to take off again without any trouble. Several hundred birds may fish together, and the surface of the sea is then covered with spray made by the diving birds.