pelican

/ˈpɛləkən/

/ˈpɛlɪkən/

Other forms: pelicans

A pelican is a huge waterbird with an enormous pouch under its long beak. Pelicans prefer warm places, and Florida is a great place to see both white and brown varieties.

Pelican comes from Greek roots, pelekan and pelekys, "ax," which somewhat describes the shape of a pelican's bill, with its downturned hook at the end. The most distinctive thing about a pelican is its throat pouch, which it efficiently uses to scoop up fish and drain water before swallowing. The brown pelican is the state bird of Louisiana, a fact that inspired the name of New Orleans' NBA team, the Pelicans.

Definitions of pelican

1. noun

   large long-winged warm-water seabird having a large bill with a distensible pouch for fish
   types:

   Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, white pelican

   large American pelican; white with black wing feathers

   Old world white pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus

   similar to American white pelican

   type of:

   pelecaniform seabird

   large fish-eating seabird with four-toed webbed feet