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How are young pelecaniform birds fed by their parents?

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Three eastern white pelicans with black-tipped wings take off from a muddy shoreline, wings outstretched, with blurred green vegetation in the background. — Pelecaniform European white pelicans (*Pelecanus onocrotalus*) in flight.

Young pelecaniform birds are fed by their parents through a process of regurgitation. To obtain this food, the nestlings insert their heads directly into the mouths or down the gullets of their parents.12

Both parents participate roughly equally in the feeding of their young. In some species, such as frigate birds and tropical boobies, this parental care continues for a significant period even after the young have learned to fly, as the offspring require time to develop the hunting skills necessary to survive in environments where food is often scarce.1