San Diego Year Bird #165: American White Pelican

American White Pelican. Lindo Lake, California. February 9, 2014. Greg Gillson.

A funny old bird is a pelican.

His beak can hold more than his bellican.

Food for a week

He can hold in his beak,

But I don't know how the hellican.

This limerick is often attributed to Ogden Nash. But evidently it is by Dixon Lanier Merritt (1879-1972).

And, yes, the beak can hold more than it's belly can--the throat pouch can hold 3 gallons!