The Meaning Of The Horn On The American White Pelican

During the spring when I was having fun making photos of the pelican I had one question early on. What exactly was the function of that bump on their beaks? Some had them, and some did not. No two looked the same. What were these things all about? A little digging showed me that these horns are called a caruncle, and it is the way that these pelicans signal that they are ready to breed. The horn is only there for breeding season, and then it falls off. It is pretty cool that the only time that we get to see the pelicans is during that breeding season.

Holding One Back

Usually when I see something this cool I will hold a couple of photos back for the future. I had a couple of posts come out around the time that I saw these pelicans, but I always like a reminder down the road of just how cool that was. This was a really fun time with birds that I do not normally see and a reminder down the road is always a good thing.