Spring Migration Brings the American White Pelican to Iowa

With over 38 million birds already soaring though our Iowa skies, the Pelican migration is much easier to spot and really picking up across the state, too. If you spend any time near a lake, reservoir, or river lately, you may have already seen them.

I recently had the chance to photograph a few groups of American White Pelicans moving through the state, and it is hard to overstate just how impressive these birds are in person. With wingspans reaching nearly nine feet across, they look almost prehistoric when they circle overhead. Think modern day pterodactyls from Jurassic Park.

The American White Pelican is one of the largest birds in North America, but despite their size, they are incredibly smooth fliers. Large groups soar together high above the water. They use warm air currents to continue their migration across the Midwest, which is really picking up as they head to mating grounds in less inhabited parts of Canada.

Unlike the Brown Pelicans you might see along the coast, our visitors don't dive into the water for fish. Instead, they work together in shallow water, herding fish into tight groups before scooping them up.

In Iowa, the best times to spot pelicans are during spring migration in March into May, and again in late summer through early fall, especially during August and September.

Get our free mobile app

Some of the best places to watch them include Coralville Reservoir, Saylorville Lake, Red Rock Reservoir, and wetlands all along the Mississippi River. During peak migration, hundreds and even thousands can gather in a single area.

For bird photographers and wildlife lovers, it is one of the coolest migration events you can experience in Iowa. Seeing these massive flocks of pelicans soaring over, and gathering on the water is something you don't want to miss.

Across Iowa, migration season is putting on a pretty great show, from the tiny and intricate to those that wingspan is longer than I am tall.