White pelicans are infrequent visitors to the Florida Wildlife Hospital. However, a 12 pound white pelican was brought to the hospital in late November. He was very thin and unable to stand up on his own. Tests showed that he had an abundance of parasites. After medical treatment and plenty of fish containing vitamin supplements, the pelican graduated to an outdoor cage with a swimming pool. The cage also contained some brown pelicans, and the size difference between the two types of pelicans became very apparent. White pelicans are 2 – 3 times the size of their brown cousins, with a proportionally large appetite! Special care was needed to make sure the white pelican did not steal all the food.

White pelicans are different than brown pelicans in other ways too. Adult white pelicans are migratory and spend summers in the northwestern United States and Canada. They winter in Mexico, southern California and along the Gulf Coast. White pelicans could be called the original "snowbirds."

Instead of diving for fish like the brown pelicans, the white pelicans float on the water, dip their heads in and use their pouches like fishing nets. They often hunt cooperatively by swimming in a semicircle and herding the fish to shallower waters.

After a month of rest and recuperation, the white pelican was released in the Sebastian area, where a flock of other white pelicans had been spotted. He flew out, circled back around, and joined the flock. A successful release is one of the most rewarding parts of the job to the staff and volunteers of the Florida Wildlife Hospital.