Nature Rules, Polllution Drools: Brown Pelicans

I'm starting a new project: gathering and sharing awesome animal facts. I chose the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) first because of its current struggle with the still-leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.

• The brown pelican's pouch holds more than three gallons! (But its stomach holds only one gallon - they have to drain the water out before they can swallow fish they've caught.)

• Brown pelicans incubate their eggs with their feet.

• Though their wingspan is almost seven feet, brown pelicans weight only about eight pounds.

Brown pelicans rule!