Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Pelicans (Pelecanidae) · Pelecaniformes (Pelecaniformes)
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Often mixed up with
In quizzes, players most often confuse Brown Pelican with these birds— either this species was picked by mistake, or the other way around.
| Species | Mix-ups |
|---|---|
| Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus | 2 |
| Snow Goose Anser caerulescens | 1 |
| Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus | 1 |
| Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippiensis | 1 |
Family
The Pelecanidae is a family of pelecaniform birds within the Pelecani that contains three genera: the extinct Eopelecanus and Miopelecanus and the extant Pelecanus. Pelecanids have existed since the late Eocene (Priabonian) and they still exist today.
Order
The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally (but erroneously) defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopods.