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American white pelicans
Felonious flyers?
Don't carry large bills around these long-billed pilferers. Well, actually, your money's safe. Just watch out if you're toting a tasty fish because American white pelicans are among the deftest of kleptoparasites – animals known for swiping other creatures' food. Terns, herons and other seabirds are frequent victims of such seafood snatchings. When pelicans stay on the straight and narrow, they're not bad at fishing – although they don't work as hard as some of their pelican cousins, preferring to trawl the water's surface and snap up prey rather than dive daringly from the air.
Felonious flyers?
Don't carry large bills around these long-billed pilferers. Well, actually, your money's safe. Just watch out if you're toting a tasty fish because American white pelicans are among the deftest of kleptoparasites – animals known for swiping other creatures' food. Terns, herons and other seabirds are frequent victims of such seafood snatchings. When pelicans stay on the straight and narrow, they're not bad at fishing – although they don't work as hard as some of their pelican cousins, preferring to trawl the water's surface and snap up prey rather than dive daringly from the air.
Pelicans are apt at fishing – but why do the work when other seabirds will do it for you?
© sdbower / iStock / Getty Images Plus 2026-09-11 08:45:51 :