I took this shot last Saturday from the Point Vicente Interpretive Center. As we stood there on the cliffs watching the waves, this handsome pelican soared just overhead, as it rode the updrafts above the cliffs.
The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) is the smallest of the eight species of pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard. It is 42-54 in (106-137 cm) in length, weighs from 6-12 lbs (2.75 to 5.5 kg) and has a wingspan from 6 to 8.2 ft. (1.83 to 2.5 m).