Editing Pelican (section)

===Feeding===
The diet of pelicans usually consists of fish,<ref name="enc">{{cite book| editor1 = Perrins, Christopher M.| editor2 = Middleton, Alex L.A| title = Encyclopedia of Birds| orig-year = 1985| year = 1998| publisher = Facts on File| location = New York, New York| isbn = 0-8160-1150-8| pages = [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofbi00perr/page/53 53–54]| url = https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofbi00perr/page/53}}</ref> but occasionally [[amphibian]]s, turtles, [[crustacean]]s, [[insect]]s, birds, and mammals are also eaten.<ref name="bbc1">{{cite news|title = Pelican Swallows Pigeon in Park|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6083468.stm|work = BBC News|date = 25 October 2006|access-date =25 October 2006}}</ref><ref name="bbc2">{{cite news|title = Pelican's Pigeon Meal not so Rare|url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6098678.stm|work = BBC News|author=Clarke, James |date = 30 October 2006|access-date =5 July 2007}}</ref><ref name="Elliott 295–298, 309–311">Elliott (1992), p. 295-298, 309–311</ref> The size of the preferred prey fish varies depending on pelican species and location. For example, in Africa, the pink-backed pelican generally takes fish ranging in size from [[Juvenile fish|fry]] up to {{convert|400|g|lb|abbr=on|1}} and the great white pelican prefers somewhat larger fish, up to {{convert|600|g|lb|abbr=on|1}}, but in Europe, the latter species has been recorded taking fish up to {{convert|1850|g|lb|abbr=on|1}}.<ref name="Elliott 295–298, 309–311"/> In deep water, white pelicans often fish alone. Nearer the shore, several encircle schools of small fish or form a line to drive them into the shallows, beating their wings on the water surface and then scooping up the prey.<ref name="NationalGeographic">{{cite web |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/pelican/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124052443/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/pelican/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 January 2010 |title=Pelican ''Pelecanus''|work=Factsheet |date=11 November 2010|publisher=National Geographic |access-date=28 April 2012}}</ref> Although all pelican species may feed in groups or alone, the Dalmatian, pink-backed, and spot-billed pelicans are the only ones to prefer solitary feeding. When fishing in groups, all pelican species have been known to work together to catch their prey, and Dalmatian pelicans may even cooperate with [[great cormorant]]s.<ref name="Elliott 295–298, 309–311"/>

[[File:Pelecanus occidentalis -Jamaica -fishing-8.ogv|left|thumb|thumbtime=2.5|alt=Brown pelicans diving|[[Brown pelican]]s diving into the sea to catch fish in [[Jamaica]]]]
Large fish are caught with the bill-tip, then tossed up in the air to be caught and slid into the gullet head-first. A gull will sometimes stand on the pelican's head, peck it to distraction, and grab a fish from the open bill.<ref name="HowStuffWorks">{{cite web |url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/birds/pelican-bill-vs-belly2.htm |title=Does a Pelican's Bill Hold More Than its Belly Can? |author=Freeman, Shanna|publisher=HowStuffWorks, Inc.|date=24 November 2008 }}</ref> Pelicans in their turn sometimes [[Kleptoparasitism|snatch prey]] from other waterbirds.<ref name=NSS/>

The brown pelican usually plunge-dives head-first for its prey, from a height as great as {{convert|10-20|m|ft|abbr=on}}, especially for [[anchovy|anchovies]] and [[menhaden]].<ref name=usepa1980/><ref name=NationalGeographic/><ref name="Elliott 295–298, 309–311"/> The only other pelican to feed using a similar technique is the Peruvian pelican, but its dives are typically from a lower height than the brown pelican.<ref>{{cite journal| author=Jaramillo, A. |year=2009 |title=Humboldt Current seabirding in Chile | journal=Neotropical Birding | volume=4 | pages=27–39}}</ref> The Australian and American white pelicans may feed by low plunge-dives landing feet-first and then scooping up the prey with the beak, but they—as well as the remaining pelican species—primarily feed while swimming on the water.<ref name="Elliott 295–298, 309–311"/> Aquatic prey is most commonly taken at or near the water surface.<ref name=mb/> Although principally a fish eater, the Australian pelican is also an eclectic and opportunistic [[scavenger]] and [[carnivore]] that forages in [[landfill]] sites, as well as taking [[carrion]]<ref name="hanzab1b">{{cite book| others = Marchant, S.; Higgins, P.J. (Coordinators).| title = Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 1, Ratites to Ducks| year = 1990| publisher = Oxford University Press| location = Melbourne, Victoria| isbn = 0-19-553068-3| page = 742 }}</ref> and "anything from insects and small crustaceans to ducks and small dogs".<ref name=hanzab1b/> Food is not stored in a pelican's throat pouch, contrary to popular folklore.<ref name=enc/>

Pelicans may also eat birds. In southern Africa, eggs and chicks of the [[Cape cormorant]] are an important food source for great white pelicans.<ref name="Elliott 295–298, 309–311"/> Several other bird species have been recorded in the diet of this pelican in South Africa, including [[Cape gannet]] chicks on [[Malgas Island]]<ref>{{Cite news|author=Walker, Matt |title=Pelicans Filmed Gobbling Gannets|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8343000/8343195.stm|date=5 November 2009|access-date=5 November 2009|publisher=BBC}}</ref> as well as [[crowned cormorant]]s, [[kelp gull]]s, [[greater crested tern]]s, and [[African penguin]]s on [[Dassen Island]] and elsewhere.<ref name="esr">{{cite journal |author1=Mwema, Martin M. |author2=de Ponte Machado, Marta |author3=Ryan, Peter G. |year=2010 |title=Breeding Seabirds at Dassen Island, South Africa: Chances of Surviving Great White Pelican Predation |journal=Endangered Species Research |volume=9 |pages=125–31 |doi=10.3354/esr00243 |url=https://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2009/9/n009p125.pdf |doi-access=free }}</ref> The Australian pelican, which is particularly willing to take a wide range of prey items, has been recorded feeding on young [[Australian white ibis]], and young and adult [[grey teal]]s and [[silver gull]]s.<ref name="Elliott 295–298, 309–311"/><ref name=Smith2008>{{cite journal|author1=Smith, A.C.M. |author2=U. Munro |year=2008 |title=Cannibalism in the Australian Pelican (''Pelecanus conspicillatus'') and Australian White Ibis (''Threskiornis molucca'') | journal=Waterbirds: The International Journal of Waterbird Biology | volume=31 | issue=4 | pages=632–635}}</ref> Brown pelicans have been reported preying on young [[common murre]]s in California and the eggs and nestlings of [[cattle egret]]s and nestling [[great egret]]s in [[Baja California]], Mexico.<ref name=Mora1989>{{cite journal | last = Mora | first = Miguel A. | year = 1989 | title = Predation by a Brown Pelican at a Mixed Species Heronry | journal = [[Condor (journal)|Condor]] | volume = 91 | issue = 3 | pages = 742–43 | url = http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v091n03/p0742-p0743.pdf | doi = 10.2307/1368134 | jstor = 1368134 }}</ref> Peruvian pelicans in Chile have been recorded feeding on nestlings of [[imperial shag]]s, juvenile [[Peruvian diving petrel]]s, and [[grey gull]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Cursach, J.A. |author2=J.R. Rau |author3=J. Vilugrón |year=2016 |title=Presence of the Peruvian Pelican Pelicanus thagus in seabird colonies of Chilean Patagonia | journal=Marine Ornithology | volume=44 | pages=27–30}}</ref><ref name=Daigre2012>{{cite journal|author1=Daigre, M. |author2=P. Arce |author3=A. Simeone |year=2012 |title=Fledgling Peruvian Pelicans (''Pelecanus thagus'') attack and consume younger unrelated conspecifics | journal=Wilson Journal of Ornithology | volume=124 |issue=3 | pages=603–607 | doi=10.1676/12-011.1|s2cid=84928683 }}</ref> [[Cannibalism (zoology)|Cannibalism]] of chicks of their own species is known from the Australian, brown, and Peruvian pelicans.<ref name=Smith2008/><ref name=Mora1989/><ref name=Daigre2012/> Non-native great white pelicans have been observed swallowing [[city pigeon]]s in [[St. James's Park]] in London, England.<ref name="bbc2"/>