How Many Fish Can a Pelican Fit Into Its Mouth?

Pelicans (genus Pelecanus) are birds that have been a symbol of popular culture since medieval times. They are mostly known for the massive amount of fish they consume in a day and their hunting techniques for acquiring those fish. An average pelican will consume as much as four pounds of fish per day. They hunt these fish by use of their unique gular pouch. This pouch allows them to consume copious amounts of fish each day, but how many can they carry at one time? In this article, we will discuss just how the pelican uses that gular pouch. We will also discuss the size of a pelican’s mouth as we uncover how many fish it can fit in its mouth at one time.

How Do Pelicans Eat? 

Before learning how many fish they can fit into their mouths, it is important to understand how the pelican uses its mouth. Pelicans eat mostly fish, but will occasionally eat amphibians, insects, birds, and small mammals. Pelicans can hunt for their food either in groups or alone. In groups, pelicans will round up shallow-water schools of fish. They do this by beating their wings to bring the fish to the surface. They will then take turns swooping down and grabbing the fish with their beaks. 

When hunting alone, they will fly high in the sky and spot the fish in the water below. They will then swoop down and grab the fish. Some species of pelican will dive up to 70 feet to scoop the fish up into their pouch. The pelican uses their bill as a natural fishing net. They lower it into the water and scoop the fish into their bill. Afterward, they tip their head forward to drain out any excess water. While specific hunting styles may differ between species, all of them use their bills to scoop up their prey. 

How Big Is a Pelican’s Mouth? 

In this article, when we are referring to the pelican’s mouth we are referring to their gular pouch. The National Park Service describes the gular pouch as “a thick layer of skin located on the lower mandible and connected to the throat.” An interesting fact about the pelican’s mouth is that it has a larger capacity than their stomachs. The stomach of a pelican can hold up to 1 gallon of water at a time. This differs from their mouths which can hold up to 3 gallons at a time. That roughly is the equivalent of about 24 pounds that the pelican can hold in its mouth at one time. 

Depending on the size and weight of the fish, the pelican could fit multiple fish in their mouth at a time. For example, if they chose a smaller fish such as the gold shiner, that averages around 1.5 pounds, they could in theory carry 16 of those fish at once. However, if they chose a larger fish such as the carp, that can weigh up to 49 pounds, they will fit much less. 

Do Pelicans Carry Fish in Their Mouths? 

Despite films like Finding Nemo, making it appear like pelicans often carry fish around in their mouths, that is not the case. Instead, they first gulp up large volumes of water with their prey. Then they tilt their heads and/or contract their throat muscles to expel the water from their mouths. Afterward, they throw their head back and swallow their meal whole. If they struggle with this method, they have an additional method. They have a little hook at the end of their bill that assists them in capturing fish. 

Although the size of the pelican’s mouth allows it to store food, it does not do so. The mouth is only used for catching of the prey, not for storing it. Additionally, a pelican cannot fly away if its pouch is full of food or water. This is one of the reasons that the draining process is so vital. 

Fun Facts About Pelicans

• Pelicans are some of the heaviest flying birds.
• You can find pelicans on every continent except Antarctica.
• Pelicans can fly to heights of up to 10,000 feet.
• Pelicans can grow to have a 10-foot wingspan or more.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Michal Dobes com/Shutterstock.com