Artwork by Phoebe Aceto
Brown Pelican Lokta Card
$5.00 – $8.00
- Our images are set in a frame on this beautiful, handmade paper from the Nepalese Lokta shrub.
- This tree-free paper is both environmentally friendly and sustainably harvested.
- Each card comes with an envelope and is packaged individually in 100% biodegradable cellophane sleeve.
- Cards are blank on the inside for your message.
- Back of card has educational story, shown below in description.
Back of Card DESCRIPTION
Brown Pelican (Pelicanus occidentalis)
You can’t help but smile watching a line of Brown Pelicans soar low along the crest of a wave in perfect unison, buoyed by the rising air of the surf. Found along ocean shores and bays, they stand four feet tall, with a wingspan of seven feet. The adults sport a yellowish head, but most notable is their long bill and expandable pouch. Gregarious year round, they are often seen in large groups awkwardly preening or throwing their necks back, stretching their vital pouch to keep it pliable.
Brown Pelicans build their nests on rock cliffs or atop mangrove thickets. Monogamous for the breeding season, both sexes incubate and feed the young. They keep the eggs warm beneath their webbed feet. Adaptations allow for an extraordinary fishing technique: Their keen eyesight allows them to spot small fish under water, then they make a steep dive from heights of 70 feet and enter the water with their bill first and their wings stretched back.
As they dive, at speeds up to 45 mph, they rotate to the left in a half twist to avoid injuring their trachea and esophagus. Special air sacs beneath their skin protect their internal organs and help them pop back up to the surface. The force of impact stuns small fish, enabling the bird to scoop up its prey in its throat pouch, which distends to hold three gallons of water! The pelican lifts its bill as the water drains before swallowing its well-earned meal.
Brown Pelicans are a living example of successful wildlife conservation. Driven almost to extinction twice, by hunting, pesticides and habitat loss, their numbers have stabilized with the help of the Endangered Species Act and the Environmental Protection Agency. Threats do still exist, including oil spills, discarded nets and tackle, continued habitat loss, and overfishing.
Watch in wonder while they glide and dive. Or maybe you’ll find one sitting stately on the rail of a pier, catching your eye with their curious gaze. They remind us to rise above our trials and not sink under the weight of problems, to socialize with our fellows and feel the uplift of being in the flow.
Text by Kara Jean Hagedorn
Artwork by Phoebe Aceto
