A Brown Pelican nesting on a discarded crab pot that had washed ashore on a remote area of Smith Island, Somerset Co., Maryland (5/21/2017).

View Record Details Photo by Chris Jewett MBP List

Brown Pelicans roosting near the Bay Bridge in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (12/4/2016). Part of an unprecedented irruption into the upper Chesapeake Bay in late 2016.

View Record Details Photo by Emily Carter Mitchell MBP List

A Brown Pelican in flight in Somerset Co., Maryland (5/21/2017).

View Record Details Photo by Chris Jewett MBP List

Brown Pelicans in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/9/2012).

Photo by Dan Haas MBP List

A Brown Pelican in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/9/2012).

Photo by Dan Haas MBP List

$A first-year Brown Pelican at Point Lookout in St. Mary\'s Co., Maryland (9/17/2006). (Photo ID: 887 - Psn: 20)$

A first-year Brown Pelican at Point Lookout in St. Mary\'s Co., Maryland (9/17/2006).

View Record Details Photo by Bill Hubick MBP List

A Brown Pelican in Cecil Co., Maryland (11/9/2018).

View Record Details Photo by Mark Johnson MBP List

A Brown Pelican in Worcester Co., Maryland (8/18/2015).

View Record Details Photo by Mark Johnson MBP List

A Brown Pelican in winter in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (1/6/2016).

View Record Details Photo by Andy Connelly MBP List

A Brown Pelican in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/18/2016).

View Record Details Photo by Emily Carter Mitchell MBP List

Brown Pelicans on a Chesapeake Bay island in Dorchester Co., Maryland (7/31/2012).

Photo by Kerry Wixted MBP List

Brown Pelicans off Point Lookout SP in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (9/27/2014).

View Record Details Photo by Jim Stasz MBP List

A Brown Pelican with prey in Somerset Co., Maryland (4/24/2014).

Photo by Danny Poet MBP List

Young Brown Pelicans on a Chesapeake Bay island in Dorchester Co., Maryland (7/31/2012).

Photo by Kerry Wixted MBP List

Brown Pelican in Somerset Co., Maryland (8/23/2022). (c) hd101, some rights reserved (<a rel='license' href='http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/'>CC BY-NC</a>). (Photo ID: 632304 - Psn: 78)

Brown Pelican in Somerset Co., Maryland (8/23/2022). (c) hd101, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

View Record Details Photo by hd101 via iNaturalist MBP List

Brown Pelican eggs on a Chesapeake Bay island in Dorchester Co., Maryland (7/31/2012).

Photo by Kerry Wixted MBP List

Brown Pelican in Garrett Co., Maryland (10/7/2018). (c) Kyle Klotz, all rights reserved. (Photo ID: 486971 - Psn: 98)

View Record Details Photo by Kyle Klotz MBP List

Brown Pelicans in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (8/28/2017).

View Record Details Photo by Jim Stasz MBP List

A Brown Pelican in Frederick Co., Maryland (8/11/2020).

View Record Details Photo by Kurt Schwarz MBP List

Brown Pelican in Calvert Co., Maryland (10/23/2024). (c) rosalie-rick, all rights reserved. (Photo ID: 1141343 - Psn: 178)

View Record Details Photo by rosalie-rick via iNaturalist MBP List

Brown Pelican in Worcester Co., Maryland (9/21/2022). (c) Matt Felperin, some rights reserved (<a rel='license' href='http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/'>CC BY</a>). (Photo ID: 991351 - Psn: 180)

Brown Pelican in Worcester Co., Maryland (9/21/2022). (c) Matt Felperin, some rights reserved (CC BY).

View Record Details Photo by Matt Felperin via iNaturalist MBP List

Brown Pelican in Calvert Co., Maryland (10/23/2024). (c) rosalie-rick, all rights reserved. (Photo ID: 1141342 - Psn: 188)

View Record Details Photo by rosalie-rick via iNaturalist MBP List

A Brown Pelican in Harford Co., Maryland (5/23/2018).

View Record Details Photo by Josh Emm MBP List

A Brown Pelican in Carroll Co., Maryland (10/15/1981).

View Record Details Photo by Jim Stasz MBP List

Brown Pelicans nesting on Bodkin Island in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (6/23/1999).

Photo by Jim Stasz MBP List

Map Snapshot

461 Records

GA AL WA FR CL MO HO BA BC HA CE PG AA CV CH SM KE QA CN TA DO WI SO WO

Status

A modern conservation success story with increasing numbers in our area. Very rare away from the immediate coast or Chesapeake Bay. First western Maryland record was found on 9/20/2018 at Deep Creek Lake a few days after Hurricane Florence (C. Blizzard).

Seasonality Summary

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Resources

View at iNaturalist Search Google Images Search MBP Facebook posts

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Citations

No citations linked for this taxon yet.

Use of media featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.

A Brown Pelican nesting on a discarded crab pot that had washed ashore on a remote area of Smith Island, Somerset Co., Maryland (5/21/2017). View Record Details Media by Chris Jewett.

Brown Pelicans roosting near the Bay Bridge in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (12/4/2016). Part of an unprecedented irruption into the upper Chesapeake Bay in late 2016. View Record Details Media by Emily Carter Mitchell.

A Brown Pelican in flight in Somerset Co., Maryland (5/21/2017). View Record Details Media by Chris Jewett.

Brown Pelicans in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/9/2012). Media by Dan Haas.

A Brown Pelican in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/9/2012). Media by Dan Haas.

A first-year Brown Pelican at Point Lookout in St. Mary\'s Co., Maryland (9/17/2006). View Record Details Media by Bill Hubick.

A Brown Pelican in Cecil Co., Maryland (11/9/2018). View Record Details Media by Mark Johnson.

A Brown Pelican in Worcester Co., Maryland (8/18/2015). View Record Details Media by Mark Johnson.

A Brown Pelican in winter in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (1/6/2016). View Record Details Media by Andy Connelly.

A Brown Pelican in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/18/2016). View Record Details Media by Emily Carter Mitchell.

Brown Pelicans on a Chesapeake Bay island in Dorchester Co., Maryland (7/31/2012). Media by Kerry Wixted.

Brown Pelicans off Point Lookout SP in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (9/27/2014). View Record Details Media by Jim Stasz.

A Brown Pelican with prey in Somerset Co., Maryland (4/24/2014). Media by Danny Poet.

Young Brown Pelicans on a Chesapeake Bay island in Dorchester Co., Maryland (7/31/2012). Media by Kerry Wixted.

Brown Pelican in Somerset Co., Maryland (8/23/2022). (c) hd101, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). View Record Details Media by hd101 via iNaturalist.

Brown Pelican eggs on a Chesapeake Bay island in Dorchester Co., Maryland (7/31/2012). Media by Kerry Wixted.

Brown Pelicans in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (8/28/2017). View Record Details Media by Jim Stasz.

A Brown Pelican in Frederick Co., Maryland (8/11/2020). View Record Details Media by Kurt Schwarz.

Brown Pelican in Worcester Co., Maryland (9/21/2022). (c) Matt Felperin, some rights reserved (CC BY). View Record Details Media by Matt Felperin via iNaturalist.

A Brown Pelican in Harford Co., Maryland (5/23/2018). View Record Details Media by Josh Emm.

A Brown Pelican in Carroll Co., Maryland (10/15/1981). View Record Details Media by Jim Stasz.

Brown Pelicans nesting on Bodkin Island in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (6/23/1999). Media by Jim Stasz.