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verification. (September 2012)| The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus
occidentalis) is a small pelican found in the Americas. It is
one of the best known and most prominent birds found in the
coastal areas of the southern and western United States. It is
one of only 3 pelican species found in the Western Hemisphere.
The Brown Pelican is one of the only two pelican species which
feeds by diving into the water. The Brown Pelican is the
smallest of the eight species of pelican, although it is a large
bird in nearly every other regard. It is 106–137 cm (42–54 in)
in length, weighs from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6.1 to 12 lb) and has a
wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6.0 to 8.2 ft). Through most of its
range, the brown pelican is an unmistakable bird. Like all
pelicans, this species has a very large bill, 28 to 34.8 cm (11
to 13.7 in) long in this case,