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18. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. American White Pelican.

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Common summer resident about the large lakes; one taken at Pembina in May; observed at Mouse River on the boundary in September (Coues). Winnipeg: Summer resident; common about the large lakes; breeding at Shoal Lake (Hine). Red River Valley: Summer resident; common; breeds at Shoal Lake (Hunter). Shoal Lake (Christy). Breeds in the smaller lakes near Lake Winnipeg, and northwestward; several specimens shot in Lake Winnipeg in October, 1880 (Bell). Swamp Island: 1885, first saw two on May 24; next seen May 31, after which it was common; it breeds here; in fall, last seen September 12, 1886, first saw, two, on April 29; bulk arrived May 27 (Plunkett). September 1, 1884, saw a flock of five on Lake Manitoba; the only ones I ever saw (Nash). Waterhen River: October 3, 1858, a large flock of pelicans, wheeling in circles far above, suddenly formed into an arrow-headed figure, and struck straight south; Oak Lake, some Pelicans (Hind). In great numbers at the head of Lake Winnepegosis or about half way up, and evidently breeding, 1881 (Macoun). Carberry: November 5, 1886, found remains of a dead pelican in the hills near Smith’s Lake; only record (Thompson). Dalton: 1889, first saw one on May 4; next seen, May 5; rare (Yoemans). Qu’Appelle: Common summer resident; very plentiful on the lakes last year (1884); towards the migratory season I saw flocks of upwards of 500 birds (Guernsey). Pelican observed in numbers at the Grand Rapids, where the Saskatchewan enters Lake Winnepeg, on the 25th of September, and a few days after a scattered one or two; I believe they do not range east of Lake Winnipeg (Blakiston).

These birds until the last few years were in the habit of breeding in large numbers at Shoal Lake, 50 miles from Winnipeg. In the summer of 1878, on the 1st of June, I counted six hundred of their eggs (?) in nests on a small island of about half an acre in extent. The nests consist only of a slight depression in the sand. These birds and the cormorants are great friends; the nests of the latter were intermixed everywhere with those of the pelicans. I counted seven hundred eggs of the cormorant on this spot. Although the pelican’s home and nesting place is an abode of filth, they keep themselves exceedingly clean. Their flight I consider more beautiful and graceful even than that of the swan. (Richard H. Hunter in MSS.)

Fort Qu’Appelle, May 19, 1885. Some years the pelicans are more numerous than others. Last year they were very thick all summer, and towards the end of summer it was no unusual thing to see forty or fifty in a flock sitting on the water. They are reported to breed in large numbers on Long Lake, 40 miles west of here. (George F. Guernsey in MSS.)

Birds of Manitoba

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