Let’s learn about pelicans in Iowa!
at River’s Edge Pavilion
Look up!
Do you see any white birds slowly gliding above?
No? Well then, look left!
Belles’ Play Garden at River’s Edge Pavilion is home to Iowa’s biggest pelican. While this one is wooden and has a slide running down its back, it honors its real life siblings as they circle the skies, rest on the river and fish in nearby marshes and lakes on warm days.
Scroll to learn more about pelicans you might see in Iowa.
SIZE
Pelicans are big.
Perhaps not as big as the one in the playground, but pelicans are Iowa’s biggest birds. They are just about as tall as a five-year-old!
But their wings are much longer than a child’s arms.
Spread your wings.
Hold your child’s right hand with your left hand, with all four of your arms held straight out.
A pelican’s wingspan is about equal to both of your arms’ lengths — around 10 feet!
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MORE
What is a wingspan?
A bird’s wingspan is measured from the tip of one outstretched wing to the tip of the other outstretched wing.
The American white pelican has the second largest wingspan of all birds native to North America.
FLIGHT
Pelican in Flight
Pelicans are smooth fliers.
Pelicans fly by flapping their large wings or by soaring, which is when they keep their wings still as they glide through the air.
Whether flapping or soaring, pelicans keep their heads close to their backs while they are in the air, instead of extended like other birds, to make themselves more aerodynamic.
COLOR
Two kinds of pelicans live in North America:
White and brown.
The two pelicans native to North America have a few other differences beyond their feather colors.
The brown pelican likes to dive for fish from the air, while the white pelican likes to stand and scoop their prey out of the water.
Brown pelicans like the coasts and oceans, and white pelicans prefer to be inland near freshwater.
Which color of pelican do you think would be near near the Missouri River?
Answer: The white pelican
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Listen
What do pelicans sound like?
Pelicans are quiet most of the time, but when they need to communicate, they grunt!
DIET
Pelicans have big mouths.
Pelicans are one of the only birds with a pouch under their beak. Their pouches can hold up to 5 gallons of water.
That’s 80 full glasses!
That pouch is no slouch.
Pelicans don’t drink all the water they fit into their pouches.
They use their large pouch to trap fish, then drain the extra water out as they swallow it. The American white pelican eats 4 pounds of fish every day!
Thank you to our partners.
Information for this story was provided by Pottawattamie Conservation
Author: Pottawattamie Conservation
Illustrator: Brenda Lee
Published: 2025
Find us at the playground!
Location
The Iowan Pelican
Pelicans in Iowa? It's true! Let's learn about these amazing birds in Belles' Play Garden.