Pelicans

When I'm in Florida I'm always stalking the Pelicans. Ever since the first time I went to Florida, I've thought they were the coolest birds I've ever seen. They're just so different than anything we have here in Michigan, or the Midwest. This year was no different; I took lots of pictures of the Pelicans, and watched them any time I was near the water. They're always diving and swooping for their food. We saw a lot of them when we went on the Jet Ski Dolphin Tour. Which was quite awesome I must admit.

Pelicans are large birds with large pouched bills.Pelicans swim well with their short, strong legs and their feet with all four toes webbed The tail is short and square, with 20 to 24 feathers. The wings are long and have the unusually large number of 30 to 35 secondary flight feathers. A layer of special fibers deep in the breast muscles can hold the wings rigidly horizontal for gliding and soaring. Thus they can exploit thermals to commute over 150 km (100 miles) to feeding areas.[1]

Pelicans rub the backs of their heads on their preen glands to pick up their oily secretion, which they transfer to their plumage to waterproof it.[1]