This lifeform is found in the western Atlantic Ocean (near North America). This lifeform is found south of the Mason Dixon line in North America. This lifeform is found widely in the New World tropics. This lifeform is found in the eastern Pacific from California to Peru. The brown color will help identify this lifeform. This lifeform is common in suitable environments.
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is found along the coasts of the southeastern United States, along the coasts of northern South America, and from California to Chile. This brown bird is typically about fifty inches long with a wingspan of six and one half feet. This familiar bird cruises along over the water and then dives for fish. It is common and man does not seem to have a negative impact on it. In fact, it has learned to follow fishing boats to obtain food scraps.
Pelican group (Family Pelecanidae) are a group of ancient birds
that have expandable pouches under the lower bill. There are only eight species of Pelicans found in the world. List of Known Pelicans (Alphabetical sequence)
Pelecanus conspiculatus Australia Pelican Australia
Pelecanus crispus Dalmation Pelican Orient
Pelecanus erythrorhynchus Amer. White Pelican W North America
Pelecanus occidentalis Brown Pelican New World
Pelecanus onocrotalus E. White Pelican Eurasia & Africa
Pelecanus philippensis Gray Pelican Orient
Pelecanus roseus W. White Pelican Orient
Pelecanus rufescens Pink Back Pelican Africa
Pelicans and Allies (Order Pelecaniformes) contains six
different families of marine birds. Most are large species and
most feed on fish. One distinguishing feature of this order is the webbing that connects all the toes.
Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000.
However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.
Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.
The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.
For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago. However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.
Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.
Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.
Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.