Photos and Videos

White pelicans work as a team to herd newly hatched fry in the shallows on Pool 13.

A single white pelican regurgitated this pile of fish including bluegills, yellow perch, crappies, and largemouth bass on a Fulton, Illinois golf course in 2021.

Hundreds of white pelicans crowd an island on Pool 13.

White pelicans are primarily fish eaters. Research has shown that adult pelicans consume 2.5 to 4 pounds of fish per day (Hall 1925; Anderson 1987). There are thousands of pelicans spending much of the year on Pool 13 alone.

One of many young pelicans hatched on Pool 13.

White pelicans and cormorants on Pool 13.

White pelicans are being seen in increasing numbers on other pools of the Upper Mississippi, as well. This cell phone photo was taken on Pool 9.

Pelicans are often seen feeding on small fish washed through dams on the river. This group is below Lock and Dam 13.

Excrement of white pelicans and cormorants contains chemicals that alter soil chemistry and kills vegetation and trees growing in roosting areas.

Pelicans are impacting more than just the Mississippi River. This group of pelicans found spawning bluegills on Lost Grove Lake in Scott County, Iowa.