Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) and double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) feeding in a frenzy on a beach. The pelicans are the larger birds, with coloured beaks. The cormorants are the smaller, black birds. The brown pelican is found on the coasts of the USA, from the Gulf of Mexico northwards. It dives into water to catch its fish prey, with the pouch hanging from its beak being used to hold water and fish. The double-crested cormorant is a seabird that is found on both coasts of North America, where it lives in brackish and freshwater habitats on lakes, rivers, swamps, bays and coasts. Photographed in Baja California, Mexico. |