Ever see a white pelican during your
stay on Anna Maria Island? The white pelican more than likely travelled a farther distance than you to get to Anna Maria Island! Their migratory journey started at the world’s largest biome known as the Boreal forest all the way to marshy wetlands on the Gulf of Mexico. This epic journey is made possible due to their long wingspan (up to 9ft) and the flock forms v-formation allowing them to conserve energy. Their feeding behavior is quite different than our local native brown pelican that dives for their food. The buoyant white pelican forages through a feeding strategy wherein a flock will form a circle or semi-circle and, using coordinated bill dipping and wing beating, drive prey toward shore where it is more easily caught. If you are vacationing with us during the winter months and want to see this rare hunting technique we suggest frequenting the protected bays around Anna Maria Island.
Robison Preserve and the
Perico Preserve are two other great areas where you can see this take place
