I love watching a group of brown pelicans fly in formation over the ocean.

With their huge wingspans, they glide easily and flap infrequently.

As they float down to cruise just inches above the water's surface,

they make use of ground effects to increase their flight efficiency.

They make it look almost effortless.

Their appearance recalls something prehistoric, with their long bills, chunky bodies, and expansive wings.

But these brown pelicans are actually small for their kind. Most other pelican species are

three or four times larger. Those guys look even

more like something out of the lost world. And when dozens of brown pelicans are diving like

torpedoes into the waves to catch fish, wow, what an amazing thing to see. As a kid growing up in

Southern California, I sort of took these birds of

the coast for granted. I just assumed that all pelican species were plunge divers like the

brown pelican, and that people everywhere got to see this behavior. I wasn't alone in having

misconceptions about pelicans. It turns out that there are several persistent myths about these birds.

Maybe you've heard some of them, or, dare I say, even fallen victim to believing them.

Well, today we're going to get pelicans all sorted out.

We're going to shine the light of science on these wonderful animals

and learn about their unique anatomy, their behavior,

and more.

Hello and welcome.

This is the Science of Birds.

I am your host, Ivan Philipson.

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