Provisioning rate of Brown Pelican in the northern Gulf of Mexico (2014-2015)

The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a large-bodied seabird that nests in colonies of 10 to upwards of 5,000 pairs, on nearshore barrier islands in subtropical and tropical North American waters. It breeds between March and August, laying 2–3 eggs and raising 1–2 chicks per year. The species is facultatively migratory during nonbreeding, with some individuals remaining resident and others leaving breeding areas. Pelicans forage in near- and offshore waters and capture schooling fish by plunge-diving. This dataset summarizes provisioning rates of Brown Pelicans throughout the chick-rearing period, from hatch (late April) through fledging (early August), in 8 colonies in Texas (2014), and Alabama and the Florida Panhandle (2015). We conducted 3-hour nest observations of groups of 15 – 20 nests throughout the chick-rearing period (every 5 – 7 days). We recorded all direct feedings in which a nestling’s head entered an adult’s throat and the nestling’s throat was subsequently engorged. We calculated meal delivery rates on a per-nest basis.