Page "American White Pelican" Paragraph 11

Unlike the Brown Pelican ( P. occidentalis ), the American White Pelican does not dive for its food.

Instead it catches its prey while swimming.

Each bird eats more than 4 pounds of food a day, mostly fish such as Cypriniformes like Common Carp ( Cyprinus carpio ), Lahontan Tui Chub ( Gila bicolor obesa ) and shiners, Perciformes like Sacramento Perch ( Archoplites interruptus ) or Yellow Perch ( Perca flavescens ), Salmoniformes like Rainbow Trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ), Siluriformes ( catfish ), and jackfish.

Other animals eaten by these birds are crayfish and amphibians.

Birds nesting on saline lakes, where food is scarce, will travel great distances to better feeding grounds.