| Common Name | American White Pelican |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pelecanus erythrorhynchos |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 06/30/2023 |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Ken Benton |
| Mailing Address | 11 Winter Meadow Barre, Vermont 05641 United States Map It |
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| Date Completed | 07/05/2023 |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 44.35199 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -72.50260 |
| Place Name | Bliss Pond |
| Township | Calais |
| County | Washington |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 09:24 PM |
| Length of Time Observed | 3 minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 500 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 300 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Twilight |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Nikon Monarchs 10x42 |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | I've seen them along the Atlantic coast on multiple occasions |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Small pond surrounded by mixed deciduous coniferous forest |
| Behaviors Observed | Swimming towards the road and then turned and took off flying towards the North. |
| Description of Vocalizations | N/A |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | I saw the eBird alert from Bryan Pfeiffer's observation and decided to try to see the bird before it got too dark that night. I arrived at Bliss Pond right at twilight - if it were a duck, I may not have been able to make it out. However, it was clearly visible being an extremely large white bird. I was able to make out the contrast of the black wing tips as it was in flight. The large orange bill was also visible. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Extremely large bird, with a long neck and heavy body. |
| Head | Head was dwarfed in size by the bill. Very long neck - held upright while on the water and then folded when in flight. Too dark to see any other distinguishing features. |
| Feet & Bill | Bill was orange and as long as the bird's neck. |
| Upper Back | White |
| Lower Back & Rump | White |
| Wings | Very long wingspan, greater than that of an eagle. Black wing tips clearly visible when in flight |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | All white |
| Tail | White, too dark to distinguish other features |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | The bill was far too long for a swan and it also held its neck folded while in flight, not straight like a swan or goose. Black wing tips also distinguished it from a swan. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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