| |
Please remember that many
of the pages in this section include material that has not yet been
published, but is being prepared for publication in the near future.
Please contact me before using any of it.
American
White Pelican
Pelecanus
erythrorhynchos
|
.jpg) |
This species is a winter visitor to Middle America. In recent
years, it has expanded its winter range south into northern
Central America. Howell and Webb describe it as an uncommon
to rare species along the Pacific coast as far as Honduras and
give no records for the Caribbean slope. Bonta and Anderson
give the first published record for the country as recently
as 1998; though include it for both slopes. Land described it
as rare on the coast of Guatemala. Knut Eisermann recently had
the first inland records for Guatemala (Cotinga, vol 22).
This is a species that I have seen fairly frequently in the
region and I would consider it to be fairly common to locally
common. I have seen this species at Monterrico in Guatemala,
where it is fairly common and can be present in big numbers.
In Honduras, I have only ever seen them at El Jicarito and the
surrounding area, where they are a common bird and often present
in big numbers. I have seen them several times on Cerron Grande
reservoir, near Colima (my only inland records) and have fairly
frequently seen groups migrating along the coast near the Rio
Jiboa. I tend to see these migrating groups as I travel to and
from the coast, as they tend to follow the coastline, but slightly
inland (often a km or so). I have tended to see this species
in freshwater locations, whereas brown Pelicans tend to be found
in salt water habitats. I once saw both species together on
the estuary near to Jicarito. The two species seemed to be associated
with one another.
|
|
|
|
|
.JPG'))
.JPG'))
)