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How do pelicans use their throat pouches to catch fish?
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Pelecaniform
European white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) in flight.
Pelicans use their large, elastic throat pouches as a dip-net to capture fish. Contrary to the common misconception that these pouches are used for storage, pelicans swallow their catch immediately.1
The specific method of capture varies by species and environment:
- Plunge-diving: The brown pelican often hunts by performing a spectacular plunge from the air into the water to scoop up prey.12
- Cooperative herding: Other species often swim in formation, such as in a crescent or circle, to drive schools of fish into shallow water. By splashing and paddling, they panic the fish, allowing the birds to scoop them up as they attempt to escape.12
- Surface feeding: Generally, pelicans catch prey while swimming by thrusting their long bills and necks below the surface to utilize their distensible pouches.2