# How Long Do Brown Pelicans Live?

> Brown Pelican lifespan is typically 20–25 years in the wild. What shortens or extends life, life stages, and status (Least Concern).

- **Species:** Brown Pelican (*Pelecanus occidentalis*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Piscivore — mainly fish such as anchovies and sardines
- **Habitat:** Coastal Americas, Caribbean, and Galápagos
- **Lifespan:** 20–25 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 48 km/h (30 mph) in flight; plunge dives from 20 m
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pelican/how-long-do-pelican-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pelican/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a large coastal seabird of the Americas, found from the United States down through the Caribbean and around the Galápagos. It is famous for plunge-diving from up to 20 m to catch fish such as anchovies and sardines in its stretchy throat pouch. Adults weigh 2 to 5 kg, span roughly 1.4 m, and can live 20 to 25 years. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a prognosis for one named animal. This page is a species lifespan range.

## Plunge-diving and feeding

The brown pelican is the only pelican that hunts by plunge-diving, folding its wings and dropping from as high as 20 m to hit the water. The impact stuns small schooling fish, which the bird scoops up along with several litres of seawater in its expandable pouch. Before swallowing, it tips its bill down to drain the water, then jerks its head back to gulp the catch. Anchovies and sardines make up most of its diet, and a hunting bird may dive dozens of times a day.

## Help protect the Brown Pelican

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pelican/how-long-do-pelican-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.