Brown pelicans: Cruising the West Coast waves

The pelicans looked like they were engaged in a high-stakes game of “chicken” with the crashing surf. On a recent road trip down the coasts of Oregon and Northern California, I watched in wonder as lines of brown pelicans cruised low over the ocean — mere inches from the water and directly in the path…

Diving pelicans: Avian missiles with brakes

Diving pelicans are a curious sight: they plunge from the sky like feathered missiles — wings cocked, heads tucked, beaks tracing an approach angle of almost 90 degrees — then hit the ocean in an explosion of wings and water and webbed feet, only to bob back to the surface in an instant, as if…