Brown Peligrine

[Arthur Morris]

What the ? Ladies and gentleman, What is going on here???

70-200, 1.4X, 7D handheld at La Jolla.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I guess pelicans are carnivorous. I don't know much about them but remember watching a youtube video of a pelican in a zoo grabbing a pigeon and swallow it alive.

[Paul Lagasi]

I searched the net...Wikapedia says that occasionally pelicans eat small birds...something I never knew...your image proves it though..TFS

[Arthur Morris]

While some pelican have eaten small birds that was not the case here. If you look carefully, you will note that the wings are attached to a carcass--a Rock Pigeon we think--from which all the flash had been picked clean. We theorized that the local Peregrine had disposed of the pigeon and that the carcass had then fallen into the Pacific and been picked up by the greedy pelican. Once the pelican landed it seemed that he was trying to swallow the carcass but we soon realized that it was trying to get it it out of its bill pouch rather than down it;s throat. It was able to sort of spit out the carcass and flew away leaving it on the rocks.

[Gloria Hopkins]

Goes to show you, most birds will eat anything they can. Romance aside, living is a very real business ....

[Ilija Dukovski]

Very interesting, it would be interesting to know if they target a specific prey/fish when they dive or
just go for anything that moves (ehm, swims) and is of the right size.